‘We can’t reach area by road’: Western Cape govt asks SANDF for chopper to fly aid to flooded town

• Western Cape Disaster Management says Citrusdal is inaccessible due to infrastructural damage.
• It has asked the SANDF for the use of a helicopter to deliver essentials to the town.
• Residents in parts of Vredendal were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The Western Cape government’s Disaster Management has asked the SANDF for the use of a helicopter to deliver humanitarian aid to flood-hit Citrusdal. 

Spokesperson Colin Deiner told News24 the town was under lockdown and that roads were inaccessible due to infrastructural damage.

He added: “All we have asked from the SANDF is the helicopters to go into the communities that were cut off to deliver food and aid on the west coast.

“Those towns are fairly isolated, and the roads have washed away. On Thursday, we used the province’s helicopter to fly out a child with injuries. Now we need to get in there to deliver food and medical supplies, and we can’t reach the areas by road.”

Deiner said some residents of Vredendal had been evacuated from high-risk areas to temporary accommodation.

“It is to make sure they are not in the way of the water in case of heavy rains. We are being proactive with this,” he said.

Meanwhile, aid organisation Gift of the Givers said it would donate essential food and non-food items to be transported to the affected areas.

It said:

We have already diverted our Johannesburg truck from Beaufort West to Malmesbury, whilst the Cape Town teams are currently loading supplies on additional trucks heading out for Malmesbury shortly to avoid being on the road when monster storms are expected to strike the province after midnight. Our trucks have fleece blankets, plastic coveralls, bottled water, bread, non-perishable food items and hygiene packs.

Gift of the Givers added that there was always an increase in the number of displaced people as a result of destructive weather conditions. 

Thousands of blankets, mattresses, sleeping bags, plastic coveralls, hygiene packs, fortified peanut paste and nutritionally enriched Genesis cereal will be required in addition to new clothing, food parcels, stationery and building material. Wuppertal, Tsitsikama and many other areas are joining the queue of distressed communities affected by the constant rain and cold.

Those who wish to donate may do so at: Gift of the Givers, Standard Bank, Pietermaritzburg, Account number 052137228, Branch Code 057525, ref SA disaster. Please send the deposit slip to [email protected] for the Section 18A tax certificate.