The Sarah Baartman District Municipality (SBDM) recently handed over 16 temporary relief units (TRUs) to members of the Kap River community. This comes in response to the severe flooding that affected the area in October 2024. The heavy rains during that period caused extensive damage to homes, leaving many residents displaced and in dire need of assistance.
A comprehensive report detailing the extent of the damage and the urgent need for intervention formed the basis of an application to the Department of Human Settlements (DOH). Tthe district was granted approval for a total of 58 TRUs, to be distributed across the affected areas. Of these, 16 were allocated to the Ndlambe municipal area; 30 were allocated to Makana and 12 for Sundays River Valley.
Immediate relief efforts at the time of the floods included the distribution of food parcels, mattresses and blankets.
“While the 16 TRUs offer immediate relief, they are, by nature, a temporary measure,” said Ndlambe Municipality communications officer TK Mtiki. “The life expectancy of these units is between 5 to 10 years. The Ndlambe Local Municipality will be tasked with providing a more permanent solution in the form of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses in the future. The TRUs serve as a bridge for the affected community members, providing them with shelter while the municipality plans and implements permanent housing solutions.”
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, April 3, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
