Houses flooded, road collapses during heavy rain

GEORGE NEWS - Mandela Village, Zone 8 (All Bricks), where houses were flooded and a section of a road collapsed last week following heavy rains, is located in an erstwhile mine (quarry) and is not a safe area to live.

Residents had been warned of the dangers of putting up informal structures there, according to George Municipality.

The unusual downpour from Wednesday night through Thursday, 18 and 19 August, caused water to dam up in the quarry, pushing into low-lying homes. The raised dirt road, which had been used for mining, crosses over the quarry and was preventing the rainwater from running away.

A resident of the village, Nosi Nkonzo, said people became desperate and used pickaxes and spades to dig an opening underneath the road to create an outlet. The road eventually caved in and the water could escape.

Residents suffered water damage to houses and personal belongings. Some had to find overnighting elsewhere because it was impossible to sleep in their own homes. The area was like a mud bath after the water had subsided.

Nkonzo said they had alerted George Municipality early the previous week when water had already started collecting in the quarry after earlier rains. Last week's hard showers that fell in a short period pushed the water level right into the low-lying houses.

The area, formerly a quarry, filled with water during the heavy downpour.

'Residents warned of danger'

Lauren Waring, acting director of Human Settlements at George Municipality said the Mandela Village informal settlement is an invaded portion of land that was a mining site, but it now houses 1 070 illegal informal structures. "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, and specifically of the fact that the land was not stable and was prone to flooding," said Waring.

Lionel Daniels, acting director of Civil Engineering Services, said the collapsed section of road is not a formal road, and was historically used by a mining company to serve as access to the mine and as a dam wall. See the historic aerial photo supplied by the municipality at www.georgeherald.com.

"The roadway has collapsed following damage due to severe littering and the heavy rains, the culmination of which blocked the culvert pipe at the inlet, causing damming of water and subsequent collapse of the road."

Daniels said the road is not included on the George Roads Masterplan, and is therefore not budgeted for.

"However, following a site inspection today [24 August], a decision has been taken to clear the debris and address the immediate safety issues."

The road is impassable after a section collapsed. Photo: Alida de Beer