More rains are predicted by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for the already flooded Eastern Cape coast, including Gqeberha and East London.
Today alone, about 93% of rain is predicted for East London, 87% for Gqeberha and 95% for George.
President Ramaphosa is expected to visit most flooded areas, among them, Lapland, Kariega and Matanzima Road, today.
Yesterday, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality said it is replacing water pipes that were washed away by floods this week. Water supply was hampered and water tankers, brought in to serve the KwanoBuhle township.
Another setback, is the postponement of rehabilitation on parts of the Lower Sundays River Canal.
Rehabilitation work was meant to start on the 10th of June, but due to the floods, was pushed back to the 15th August 2024.
Wisani Mavasa, Spokesperson of the Department of Water and Sanitation, said the canal to be rehabilitated is within the Lower Sunday’s Government Scheme (LSGWS), which forms part of the greater Orange-Fish-Sundays Inter Basin Transfer Scheme.
The transfer Scheme conveys 740 million kilolitres of water annually, from the Gariep Dam to the Eastern Cape, through the 80 km Orange-Fish Tunnel.
He said in the Eastern Cape, water is managed through a system of dams, canals, tunnels, and rivers, to supply farmers for irrigation, as well as to households in Cradock, Somerset East, Bedford, Adelaide, Makhanda, Kirkwood, Addo, Paterson and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (Gqeberha, Kariega and Despatch).
In another parts of the Eastern Cape, snow arrived 2 days ago. Picture of snow in Queenstown, shared by Shabbir Gondal Jholana.