An estimated R950-million worth of damages have been caused in the Free State in recent floods and rains, the MEC for cooperative governance Mamiki Qabathe said on Monday.
“We were mostly hit in the sectors such as roads and bridges to the cost of R516-million,” said Qabathe.
More than 4980 houses were damaged in the province to the cost of an estimated R314-million while farmers lost about 18.2 thousand hectares of field crops estimated at about R95.3-million.
Some 50 schools, 12 clinics and other government infrastructure worth more than R15-million were also damaged.
Qabathe told a provincial Legislature sitting at Van Stadensrus in the eastern Free State indications were that the costs of the damages were too high for the Free State.
“The preliminary indications reveal that the costs of our damages far exceed financial resources available.”
Qabathe also announced the building of multi-purpose centres in 13 Free State communities to be named after ANC heroes and heroines in the run up to the ANC's centenary celebrations in 2012 in Bloemfontein.
Also in memory of the ANC's centenary and the woman's march to the Union Buildings in 1956 the department had committed themselves to the construction of 1,956 housing units through the local woman's building program, favouring women contractors.
Places to benefit from this program would be Winburg, Brandfort, Ladybrand and Rouxville.
Special attention was also given to the Naledi local municipality, in which Van Stadensrus was situated. Some 150 houses would be built, said Qabathe.
The Naledi municipality's previous ANC mayor Motlatsi Motloi was killed in 2010 in front of his house in the municipality.
Qabathe said the Free State department's budget event in Van Stadensrus was a special tribute to Motloi and the whole municipality would benefit with 650 houses in memory of Motloi. -
Sapa