Monday, February 19, 2024 – Cilliers Brink, the Mayor of City of Tshwane, has called on residents to be patient as the city works to restore power to several areas following the weekend storms.
On Sunday, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) upgraded
the level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms to a level 4.
Hail, heavy rainfall and damaging winds were experienced in
the city.
Brink said on Monday: “This weekend, we had very severe
storms, including hailstorms, that have hit our service infrastructure quite
badly – trees falling down, interfering with overhead lines that now have to be
repaired.
“We’ve sent out a notice to say due to the bad weather and
its effects, the response times are going to be delayed. We’re on the ground to
inspect the damage and to ensure the work gets done. We’re asking for patience
as there are certain things that we can’t control, including the severity of
the weather. We’re doing all we can to restore the power. We’re aware of it and
attending to it.
“We plead with our customers to exercise patience while we
strive to reduce the backlog.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Human Settlements on Monday
dispatched the department’s emergency housing team to assess the damage caused
by storms that hit several houses in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on Saturday.
According to the department, several houses in Ekubuseni,
Gomodo and Holinyoka villages were damaged by the storms, leaving four
households homeless.
“I have directed officials to ensure that affected
households are assisted as a matter of urgency. We have roped in one of our
agencies, the NHBRC, to help the team assess the integrity of all structures
that have been affected,” said Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi.
“Our main objective … is to ensure that we respond swiftly
and provide solutions that will enable the affected communities to rebuild
their homes.”
Heavy winds, east of Pretoria. pic.twitter.com/Wni2kZtQ36
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 18, 2024
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