DA Provincial leader Athol Trollip MP read a parliamentary member’s statement in parliament in the National Assembly yesterday on the havoc caused by the heavy rains in the Eastern Cape:
Mr Speaker,
The Democratic Alliance notes with deep regret the devastation caused in the Eastern Cape by torrential rain and flooding. The area worst affected is the coastal strip between the Tsitsikamma and the Keiskamma river. The tragic loss of at least eight lives is especially tragic and the DA extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved.
The cost of the loss of private and public property will be enormous and this coupled to the cost of damage to public infrastructure such as roads, water, Electricity and other service infrastructure will have a devastating impact on the provinces already faltering economy.
The affected local and district municipalities just don’t have the financial means to deal with the scale of damage and devastation caused by the flooding, in fact it is clear that the Province too will have to rely on the intervention and assistance of national treasury.
The closure of the N2 will result in a doubling of traffic load and volume on tbe R72 which is not designed for this volume of traffic and which has not been adequately maintained. This situation will destroy one of the most critical roads in the province. Many of the un-surfaced roads in the province that are faced with maintenance backlogs of multiple years are now impassable and place even more economic strain and hardship on the rural communities.
We call on all three spheres of government to mobilize all necessary resources to effect immediate emergency repairs to the affected areas and main service delivery and economic infrastructure.
Athol Trollip MP
DA Leader Eastern Cape
