Govt reiterates call for people to build homes in approved areas

By Simon Nare

The government has cautioned homeowners against building their houses on flood lines to avoid them from being swept away by raging currents during flooding or demolished by the state.

In a post-Cabinet meeting briefing in Cape Town on Thursday, Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the executive had reflected on the recent flooding, including in the Eastern Cape, where 78 people have died so far.

During the devastating floods, pictures of submerged houses built in low-lying areas were splashed across social media, with some raising concerns about how municipalities had approved such structures.

Ntshavheni said the government had consistently over the years warned people not to build their houses in areas that were not been approved by municipal engineers.

She cited the repeated warnings to people who lived along the Jukskei River in Johannesburg who defiantly resisted being moved from the area even though many died