The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will continue providing three meals a day for 15 days to flood-affected families in Mbaula village outside Giyani, Limpopo. This comes as the provincial flood death toll rises to 19, with search operations ongoing for missing persons. Local leaders urge the government to build new homes for the displaced.
Floods have devastated Mbaula village outside Giyani in Limpopo, flattening 35 houses and leaving more than 80 people homeless. Sassa CEO Themba Matlou visited the affected families sheltered at a local church, where 86 individuals are currently housed and receiving three meals per day.
Matlou announced that the agency will provide meals for the next 15 days while assessing the situation. "We found that we have to provide them with the meals, some clothes have been destroyed, so we also got sponges for a period of at least three days as we are assessing the situation. We have almost 15 days to keep monitoring the situation and the provision of humanitarian relief," he said.
Additional support includes collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs to replace lost identity documents and facilitate social grant applications. "When they go home, we’ll be able to visit their families and make sure that all the people have applied for social grants and if they don’t have documents, we’ll work with Home Affairs just to make sure that we facilitate the documentation as well," Matlou explained.
The floods have claimed 19 lives across Limpopo, including a recent discovery in Phalaborwa believed to be one of two boys swept away by the overflowing Selati River. Limpopo Disaster Management spokesperson Tsakani Baloyi urged communities to exercise caution near rivers and dams, as search operations for remaining missing people continue.
The Mthimkhulu royal council has called for government intervention to rebuild homes. Member Daniel Mabunda, speaking during Matlou's visit, said: "People are getting assisted. There are people who assisting with food parcels, blankets and clothes. People don’t have homes. It will assist a lot if they build them houses." Victims have received food parcels, blankets, and clothes so far.
