Cape Town - The Gift of the Givers has deployed a helicopter and volunteers in Keimoes, Northern Cape, after floods caused rising levels of water in the Orange River as the sluice gates of the Vaal Dam had to be opened due to it being over 100% full.
This follows after the Department of Water and Sanitation opened four more sluice gates at the Vaal Dam on Friday to relieve water pressure after heavy rains caused rivers that feed into the Vaal and Orange River systems to overflow.
The humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers project manager Ali Sablay said that they were approached by the town and its disaster management team who were concerned that the number of villages cut off this time will be substantially higher than last year, as the water levels are rising rapidly and with greater intensity.
"This means that many more communities will require urgent assistance and the municipality and disaster management have been unsuccessful in getting a response from SANDF to provide air support," Sablay said.
He also said Gift of the Givers has made arrangements with Boeta Dippenaar of Henley Air to urgently assist.
Sablay said that their teams were busy distributing food hampers, bottled water, hygiene packs and blankets to areas still accessible by road.
Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation, spokesperson Wisane Mavasa has appealed to farmers to be extra careful when the water levels rise, especially along the river system.
“They should adjust their water pumps and remove livestock and equipment out and away from the riverbanks. We also appeal to the general community to avoid fishing or swimming during heavy rains," Mavasa warned.
IOL