How to help Swartland Municipality in wake of dam collapse crisis
"Emotions are very high. We see people breaking down every moment," says Ali Sablay, Gift of the Givers Spokesperson.
The aftermath of flooding in Riverlands, near Malmesbury in the Western Cape, after three dam retention walls collapsed on 8 August 2024. Picture: Supplied
Clarence Ford interviews Ali Sablay, Gift of the Givers Spokesperson.
Listen below.
Recent dam collapses in the Swartland Municipality have severely damaged water infrastructure, disrupting the municipal water supply and making piped water delivery impossible.
While bottled water has provided temporary relief, it is not a sustainable solution.
Gift of the Givers has responded by deploying two Isuzu-sponsored water tankers from Adelaide to the affected area immediately.
RELATED: How you can help Swartland communities and animals devastated by dam collapse
"There is no electricity since Thursday when the disaster occurred, there's no clean drinking water, so our teams are providing the essential services."
- Ali Sablay, Spokesperson – Gift of the Givers
In addition to drinking water, the community urgently needs:
- Fuel for heating and cooking (wood or gas) due to power outages
- Pet food for cats and dogs
- Animal fodder for horses, sheep, and pigs
- Hot meals for residents
- Warm clothing, boots, and blankets for cold weather
- Cleaning detergents to sanitise homes
To make a donation, you can contribute via:
- BackaBuddy
- Online
- Phone: 0800 786 911
Sablay highlights that many residents in this area are retirees who invested their life savings into building homes that have now been destroyed, and they have no insurance.
He also notes that the municipality is offering counselling services to help community members cope with this traumatic situation.
"Emotions are very high. We see people breaking down every moment."
- Ali Sablay, Spokesperson – Gift of the Givers
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.