Heavy floods left numerous families and animals stranded at the Barrage Smallholdings plots near Vanderbijlpark recently.

This was caused by heavy rainfalls that would last for hours. One of those affected was Matshediso Ramosunya (74) who said that her whole family was woken up by the constant sound of water from the Klipspruit Bridge. Ramosunyana said that she, together with her family members managed to be rescued, including her grandchildren and they were able to all pull through.

She stated that she lost many valuable items that she worked for, for many years. When she was asked whether she wanted to leave the plot, she said that she has nowhere to go.

Meanwhile a couple, Sakie (68) and his wife Martha van der Merwe (63) were rescued by a South African Airforce helicopter after the heavy flood waters trapped them in their house at one of the Barrage plots recently. Danie Boschoff of Vaal Reaction Unit said that the last time they experienced such floods was in the year 2010.