Hundreds of thousands of rand damage has been caused to properties in Orkney, North West, after 10 sluice gates were opened at the Vaal Dam to reduce capacity following heavy rains experienced recently.
The gates were opened on Friday.
Residents in Orkney are dreading the cost of having to spend close to R1m to repair flood damages.
The department of water & sanitation continues to call for evacuations as they receive reports that some residents were refusing to leave.
Businessman and resident Wally Thole, who lives near the Vaal River embankment, on Monday said they have nowhere else to go despite the danger.
Three of his chalets at Serenity Guesthouse were submerged in water.
“When they sent the announcements in the group for us to start evacuating, we already knew what to do because it’s a pattern you get used to. I moved everything, I even took the doors off the hinges because you don’t want to start preparing when the water is around your ankles,” said Thole.
He said the situation has got worse in just three weeks, especially with a lack of water and electricity in the area.
Thole said there was a bit of water in the chalets, but when it dried out, he moved everything back.
“On Thursday and Friday [last week], we had to move everything out again as the water just rose overnight.
“Today is a little bit better as it has started going down a little. We’ve been on a generator, and we’ve been reusing water,” said Thole.
He said he estimated damage costs running to R500,000.
“There’s no insurance. They insured us once in 2010 and realised how much they’d have to keep taking out and then they stopped insuring my business. We’re pensioners, so we don’t have a million rand lying around, but we believe in faith and we pray. Sometimes people donate either paint or bring new doors and others give us money,” Thole said.
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