The Border Management Authority (BMA) says it has had to put a halt to operations at five borders and evacuate some staff as a precaution due to severe flooding over the weekend.
On Monday BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato said the authority had temporarily suspended operations at the the following border posts in Limpopo and the North West:
- Pontdrift;
- Makgobistad;
- Groblersbridge;
- Bray; and
- Stockpoort.
“At Stockpoort port of entry, operations have been suspended as the port is completely surrounded by water. The corridor leading to the port, the operational area and the bridge after the port have been submerged. BMA and other law enforcement officials were stranded on the island where the immigration office is located, making movement impossible,” he said.
While water levels have subsided and operations resumed, cross-border travellers and commercial operators were advised to use Ramatlabama, Kopfontein, Beitbridge and Skilpadshek ports of entry instead.
In KwaZulu-Natal, recent severe rains have caused havoc on properties and businesses.f
Sanlam’s SHA Risk Specialists unit said claims statistics from 2022 indicated most flood-related claims were from the region, followed by Gauteng, with the balance coming from the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
The insurer said the data showed that some regions were more susceptible to flooding and required suitable urban planning and infrastructure to mitigate flood risks.
SHA claims specialist Regan Duarte urged businesses to ensure that they were sufficiently protected against the far-reaching consequences of climate change.
“Professionals and building owners need to plan for a worst-case scenario and not the predicted rain patterns from 30 years ago. The flood modelling should be updated for what transpired in KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
According to a budget report on sustainable growth, PWC said recent weather events in KwaZulu Natal have caused damage to infrastructure to the tune of more than R50bn.