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Floods leave villagers with no basic services

The crisis surrounding the overflowing Lepelle River in Limpopo, which has left people stranded in the Sekhukhune area, worsened this week.

The crisis surrounding the overflowing Lepelle River in Limpopo, which has left people stranded in the Sekhukhune area, worsened this week.

Government officials, who were to pay social grants and supply food parcels to villagers, were unable to reach the other side of the river because of the heavy rains .

Sowetan was yesterday inundated with calls from desperate Nkotokwane villagers who could not cross over to access basic commodities.

Pensioner Mmaphuti Komane told Sowetan that she spent two weeks without a decent meal because officials from the department of social development could not reach her village.

Another pensioner, Mokgaetsi Makokga, said she had to spent R90 to travel to Apel via Lebowakgomo in order to access her grant.

Chairman of the local ANC branch Simon Ntsoane said they would call on the government to build a bridge over the river so that they could be able to access services during bad weather.

Spokesman for the provincial department of roads and transport Selby Makgotho said a task team would assess the situation. - Alex Matlala

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