Riverlands community accuses govt of failing to deliver on housing promise for flood victims
Surging floodwaters from four collapsed dams wreaked havoc in Riverlands in August, damaging people's homes.
Earlier in August 2024, several homes of the Swartland community of Chatsworth, Malmesbury flooded after three dam retention walls burst. Picture: Facebook/Goedgedacht Trust
CAPE TWON - The community of Riverlands is accusing government of failing to deliver on its promise of housing for flood victims before Christmas.
Surging floodwaters from four collapsed dams wreaked havoc in Riverlands in August, damaging people's homes.
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More than 200 people, including children and the elderly, fled their homes to stay with family and friends.
Some were accommodated at both the Love Church and a youth centre in the town.
It's understood that about 60 people who were still housed at the community centres have been told to vacate the premises.
Tensions are again high in Riverlands as flood victims continue to struggle for shelter more than four months after the disaster.
Riverlands disaster steering committee member, Ralph Burger, said the church needed its hall back for functions over the festive season, while the youth centre was due for renovations.
"The service provider promised us that from the 13th to the 17th [of December], they would interact with us to start from Monday with the first roll-out of the houses, but now they are telling us that they are going on holiday."
The Department of Human Settlements told EWN that it was consulting with its unit responsible for emergency housing and would revert as soon as possible.