This comes after there were several reports of flooding at the residential and commercial areas in Bloemfontein, leaving residents in these areas exposed to the risks associated with these floods. While the municipality has disaster management in place for potential crisis situations such as this one, it is unknown at this point whether or not the municipality considers these flash-floods a crisis as yet.

According to the municipality’s Disaster Management Plan, which was developed in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, one of the municipality’s mandates in this regard is to either prevent or reduce the associated risks, as well as formulate contingency plans in the event that flash-floods occur, to minimize the risk to the public. The plan recognises floods as part of the list of major hazards the metro may be vulnerable to and even says the likelihood of floods in the city is high, with major consequences, yet despite this, the metro is yet to issue communication on the possible ways to mitigate this disaster in the coming days, following reports from the weather service that more rain is coming.

Meanwhile, the metro’s spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, is yet to respond to a set of questions sent to him with regards to the infrastructure in place.

OFM News