North West premier Job Mokgoro is set to visit Vryburg and Taung in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District on Monday to assess the damage caused by the recent flash floods.

Spokesperson of the Office of the Premier, Vuyisile Ngesi, tells OFM News that Mokgoro will lead an executive team on a visit to areas that have been severely affected. Their assessment will start at the N14 road between Vryburg and Kuruman and will continue to the Buxton, Kgomotso and Matlapeng Villages in the Greater Taung Local Municipality, among others.

“We are going to inspect all the damages. And where we are able to put in measures where we can start fixing, we will announce it as soon as possible. There where people’s houses have been damaged and other personal properties have been damaged – we need to intervene as government.”

On Friday, OFM News reported the South African National Roads Agency's (Sanral) said the N14, section 8, outside Kuruman, has been closed because of roadways being flooded and a collapsed culvert. This road has, however, been reopened on Saturday morning.

Mokgoro’s team includes the MEC of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Mmoloki Cwaile, the MEC of Social Development Boitumelo Moiloa, and MEC of Public Works and Roads, Gaoage Molapisi, as well as the heads of these departments and administrators who will analyse the effects of the floods.

Furthermore, Ngesi says that contingency plans, programmes and other necessary measures need to be implemented with immediate effect, so as to alleviate the short–, mid-, and long-term damage that was caused.

Ngesi adds that they will also visit Mokgareng, Mokasa, Motsweding, and Tamasikwa.

“There is also the fact that we don’t know as to what the extent of the damage is. So, after we have determined the damage we will be able to make concrete announcements,” concludes Ngesi.

OFM News/Shirndré-Lee Simmons