Acts of G-d

There are some disastrous events that we cannot control, nor can we prevent them happening. There was nothing anyone could have done to prevent the severe storms that hit the Garden Route last week and then Cape Town at the weekend, with gale-force winds and flooding. 

The government has since declared the storms and floods a national disaster in six provinces, the Western Cape, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Mpumalanga. So much damage has been done. 

By Tuesday, 10 people had been confirmed dead as a result of the disaster and at least 2 500 had been rescued by emergency personnel from floodwaters. 

Tens of thousands of people have been impacted across the country, with more than 41 000 in Cape Town alone. The people most affected are those living in informal settlements, where more than 10 000 homes were destroyed. 

Many roads and bridges have been damaged, schools were closed, and there were extensive power outages in parts of the country. Families were displaced and there have been massive agricultural losses. 

This was because of an act of G-d ‒ a disaster that could not have been anticipated or prevented and was unrelated to any human intervention. Much like the extensive and disastrous drought suffered in Cape Town between 2015 and 2018. There was nothing that could have been done to stop it. 

Having said that, there are a great many things that can be done to safeguard lives and property from the damage of natural disasters. It’s about securing infrastructure, ensuring that the areas that are generally worst hit by these events are better structured and safeguarded. 

A tin shack built on the side of a river that is likely to flood is a disaster waiting to happen. If you look at some of the photographs and footage from this week’s flooding, such places were the worst hit. For those in informal settlements who clearly have nowhere else to go, raising the floor level of their homes and digging trenches around the structures could have helped divert rainwater. This may not help a whole lot in a massive flood, but it is something people can do, and city leaders should be advising and guiding them to do. 

When you hear of someone killed by a tree falling on their car, you may think there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it. Perhaps, but trimming branches hanging over power lines or structures can prevent them falling during high winds. This is the responsibility of municipalities. 

Municipalities are also responsible for clearing rivers, bridges, canals, and culverts to prevent blockages that could lead to flooding. They are also meant to ensure clear access roads to vulnerable informal settlements and to prevent municipal drain blockages. 

Municipalities are also supposed to clear rivers and strategically open estuaries in coastal areas to allow floodwater to get to the sea. 

My point is that while there is nothing we can do to prevent acts of G-d, death and destruction can be curtailed significantly if we have a proactive government. 

Now, while the infrastructure in Cape Town is so much better than it is in Johannesburg and the rest of the provinces, extensive damage was still done. 

We in Johannesburg aren’t experiencing the floods, which is a relief, but can you imagine what would happen if we did? Just with all the unseasonal rain we’ve had, our roads are in the worst state I have ever seen them in. 

There is hardly a stretch of road without massive potholes. I have to say, being a fan of the Waze app, I am always grateful that it warns me about potholes. However, it probably alerts us to about 5% of the actual potholes in the city. I can’t say I am surprised as I don’t think Waze was set up to be a warning for the holes dotting and dashing each road we drive along. 

Sadly, our roads are falling apart and need to be upgraded, and fast. However, that isn’t happening. 

While we no longer have loadshedding, how often do we have water crises? I cannot tell you how many times in the past year the water hasn’t run from the taps in my home. Tell that to someone in most European countries and they will think you are nuts. Tell that to an Israeli and they will tell you it never needs to happen because Israeli technology and innovation have made sure of that. Unfortunately, the South African government would rather we suffer water crises than get help from Israel. 

Many experts have argued that the extent of the damage done during this latest national disaster was made worse by long-standing infrastructure and planning problems. They maintain there was poor stormwater drainage and blocked systems in many municipalities, and informal settlements were built in flood-prone areas. Also, the weak maintenance of roads, bridges, and water infrastructure was asking for trouble. 

Why is our government not proactive in this? I appreciate that declaring a national disaster means it can ensure funding goes to help fix things fast. However, the damage was already done while our government was looking elsewhere and most probably lining someone’s pockets. 

Just this week, our president ‒ who wants us to believe he is determined to crack down on corruption – told the country that he will not step down over the Phala Phala debacle, which points to him being corrupt. 

Johannesburg, as Michael Kransdorff writes on page 2, is badly in the red. Where has the money gone? How is it possible that the economic hub of this country is bankrupt? Most of the money in the country, especially businesses and high-income earners, is based here. Our taxes are higher than average ‒ even in Europe, Australia, and the US. I have to say, if my taxes were going to help uplift this country, I wouldn’t mind. However, my taxes and yours are most probably going to enrich some government employee or politician and that is unacceptable. 

If they weren’t, we wouldn’t be in this trouble. 

We need a government that is proactive in fighting corruption and fixing the cracks in our infrastructure and society. We now have an election set for 4 November. It is up to us to make the change. 

Shabbat shalom! 

Peta Krost 

Editor