Amathole Disrict Municipality_Facebook
The Amathole District Municipality (ADM) in the Eastern Cape has been classified a disaster area following heavy thunderstorms between December and January.
The Municipality said a multi-disciplinary assessment team, including Human Settlements, as well as National, Provincial, and District Disaster Management Centres, assessed the damages, which amount to over R57.2 million.
This led to the disaster classification under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act (Act No. 57 of 2002).
ADM said the heavy thunderstorms over the past two months affected 59 villages, causing extensive damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure.
In Ngqushwa, 148 families were left homeless, while 83 households were destroyed in Amahlathi, Raymond Mhlaba, Mnquma, and Mbhashe Local Municipalities.
Basic services in these areas were also disrupted.
Amathole District Municipality provided relief to affected communities in partnership with various humanitarian organizations.
ADM said with support from the National Disaster Management Centre, it would continue to coordinate disaster management efforts, ensuring compliance with the reporting requirements of the Disaster Management Act.
