UNDER WATER

A state of disaster has been declared after huge pockets of South Africa were devastated by widespread flooding

- SIPHOKAZI ZAMA

FOR those in the Western Cape, it was like seeing pictures from a different country. Because as the peninsula and surroundings baked under a merciless sun, vast swathes of the country were being drenched by unrelenting rain, leaving communities reeling, livelihoods lost, homes and possessions destroyed and infrastructure in tatters.

The situation became so dire the government declared a state of disaster, allowing for financial and humanitarian assistance from the state.

Gauteng, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) were among the areas hardest hit by downpours.

In the town of Ladysmith in KZN, more than 86mm of rain fell in a single night, causing rivers to burst their banks and flood the central business district (CBD).

An estimated R3,3 billion is needed to counter the effects of the recent storms that have ravaged KZN, The Witness newspaper reports.

Thembokuhle Ndawonde, regional chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), says the industry and the community of Ladysmith have been dealt a hammer blow.

“We’re really disturbed. Our cars haven’t been working since the flooding started,” Ndawonde told The Daily Maverick newspaper.

He estimates each taxi was losing at least R1 500 a day.