Sol approves budget to cater for meals for displaced city families

SOL PLAATJE Municipality has approved an emergency deviation budget to provide meals for the White City families who were relocated to the Riverton Pleasure Resort after their homes in Roodepan were flooded by sewage.

MJ B Beukes Catering CC was appointed as the service provider, who was “available immediately”, to cater for the affected families.

The catering company has provided 42 meals to 18 persons per day, where the municipality was billed R157 164 for the provision and delivery of meals to Riverton as of March 4.

It was indicated that the families had each been allocated chalets at the holiday resort and they were provided with three meals per day.

According to council, six houses in Von Webber and Ravel streets in Roodepan were flooded with sewage following heavy rains in January. The affected families were relocated to the Riverton Pleasure Resort as their living conditions were not considered safe.

“Rain water from the adjacent Cofferdam overflowed into the area. Adjacent is a sewage pump station that was vandalised and the electric cables were stolen. This caused raw sewage to form part of the rainwater flooding the area. Unfortunately, the situation created by the flooding of the area necessitated the movement of the affected households to a safer area to allow the area to dry out so that the necessary repair work can start.”

The municipality stated that disaster management visited the families on a daily basis to ensure that their needs were taken care of.

One of the affected households stated that the fridges and stoves were not functioning, while there were no televisions at the chalets.

“The families find it difficult to travel between work and Riverton every day,” they said.

The caterer said that breakfast entailed eggs, cereal and fish fingers, while each household was provided with a loaf of bread, milk, coffee and tea each day.

“I supply cooked meals for lunch and dinner and the families are very happy with the food. I provided assistance as it was an emergency and will also submit a tender for the bid,” said the caterer.

Sol Plaatje Municipality spokesperson Sello Matsie said that seven families were currently being provided with alternative housing at

Riverton.

“They are receiving three meals per day,” Matsie confirmed.

“The first four families started staying at Riverton as far back as January 28.

“If more people are directly affected by the rainwater and sewage then they need to come forward and their situation will be assessed and, if needed, be placed at Riverton.”

Matsie added that they were not able to predict how long the families would remain at the chalets.

“Infrastructure is busy trying to sort out the matter.”