Cabinet says support for displaced families, whose homes were flooded when the walls of a dam collapsed in the Swartland Municipality in the Western Cape, continues.

This comes after the collapse of the retention walls of the Riverlands Dam on 8 August 2024.

At a media briefing on Thursday, following Cabinet’s meeting on Wednesday, Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said water levels have now receded enough for residents, who were earlier evacuated, to return to their homes.

‘However, the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, and the two available community centres remain open for residents who prefer not to return home immediately,’ Ntshavheni said.

READ | Emergency work on the fourth Riverlands dam

Cabinet commended the urgent intervention by the Department of Human Settlements to assist displaced families.

Last week, Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi dispatched an emergency housing team to urgently assist displaced families whose homes were flooded when the wall
s of a dam collapsed.

Kubayi said the ongoing assessment will inform what interventions were required for all the affected households.

The Minister highlighted there are four categories of interventions provided by the department and these include restoration, relocation, rebuilding and repairs.

Meanwhile, as the country’s rainy season approaches in the northern part of the country, Cabinet has called on municipalities to ensure storm-water drains are cleaned and free from blockages, to ensure the smooth flow of water when it rains.

Source: South African Government News Agency