Thoroughfare in Mandela Village reinstated

GEORGE NEWS - Following excessive rain and flooding in August, a dam wall used as an informal road which collapsed in the informal settlement Mandela Village [known as All Bricks], has been made safe with the installation of two 600mm diameter pipes side-by-side.

The area has been backfilled with imported material to 'road height' and on the higher side, gabions (baskets or containers filled with earth, stones, or other material) and rheno mattress (compartmentalised basket made of galvanised steel wire mesh, with a rectangular mattress shape) have been installed to serve as an inlet structure to help prevent the dam wall from being washed away in a flood again.

"The Mandela Village informal settlement is an invaded portion of land in Thembalethu which was a mining site, but now houses 1 070 illegal informal structures," said Lionel Daniels, acting director of Civil Engineering Services.

"With the onset of the invasion, more than five years ago, the inhabitants were informed of the dangers of occupying that particular piece of land, specifically the fact that the land was not stable and was prone to flooding."

Gabions were used to backfill the area.

He noted that the road is not a formal road, but an earth embankment which was historically used by a mining company to serve a dual purpose - as access to the mine/quarry and as a dam wall. "It is not included on the George Roads Master plan. The collapse was due to the heavy rains as well as damage caused by severe littering."

Because it is not a road, it is not budgeted for.

Acting Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz visited the area shortly after the collapse and a decision was taken to clear the debris and address the immediate safety issues. The mayor, Leon van Wyk, said the area remains unsafe for habitation.

"Resolving the problem is not easy. Building pipes for water to flow through this area is not a permanent solution and more discussions will have to take place to see how we can fully resolve this."

The informal 'road' in Mandela Village has been repaired after it collapsed during heavy rains in August.