By: Natasha Archary
Vaal residents say they are living in fear as warnings of further flooding grips the community after heavy rains.
This after 12 of the Vaal Dam’s sluice gates were opened over the weekend to relieve pressure.
Opening the gates are meant to ease flow of water into the Vaal and Orange River, but residents say this can sometimes cause their low-lying homes to flood.
As a result residents have been urged to move to higher ground, with warnings being issued over a high risk of drowning and people likely to be swept away.
On Monday, 20 February Kaya News visited the Vaal and found that parts of some roads in the area have been washed away.
Residents are desperate for assistance as evacuations are expected to occur with more rains expected to fall this week.
Angry Vaal residents blame poor negligence and a lack of maintenance for the floods, calling this a “man-made” flood and not a natural disaster.
Some say the Vaal Dam floodgates were recklessly opened, with those living along the banks of the river amongst the hardest hit.
But Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Wisane Mavasa, said the opening of the floodgates was a necessity to protect the integrity of the structures.
“With the continuing heavy rains in large parts of the country, many rivers are overflowing, and most dams are full and spilling over.
The Vaal and Orange River system is also experiencing rapidly rising water levels and has necessitated the opening of the gates to safeguard the infrastructure from collapsing.”
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