On Thursday 21 January a flash flood caused by torrential rain swept through Komsberg farm near Ariamsvlei in the South of Namibia. The flood swept away at least 60 reed houses which were situated in the dry riverbed, leaving a total of 304 people homeless. The flood victims, most of whom are employed by the grape companies Desert Fruit and Komsberg Farming, lost all their belongings.
A three year-old girl identified as Kukaru Anderson Diyeve was reported missing after the flood, while eight people sustained serious injuries during their struggle to get out of the swollen river flowing into the Orange River.
Komsberg general manager Jannie Thiart yesterday dismissed allegations levelled against him by Swapo Party regional coordinator Mathew Mumbala that he was reluctant to cooperate with government and Swapo party officials in their endeavours to assist the flood victims.
"Desert Fruit management responded positively to assist the flood victims, but Thiart refused to provide an open space for the temporarily relocation of the flood victims," said Mumbala.
Countering Mumbala's claims, Thiart said he and other company management members had assisted the flood victims from the onset.
"We were on the ground immediately when the flood hit the residents to rescue the victims," Thiart said, rejecting Mumbala's accusations as "pointless".
According to Thiart, he and his management team were yesterday hard at work to clear an open space on safer grounds where the flood victims, who were temporarily accommodated in the local kindergarten, can rebuild their homes.
Source: allafrica.com
