The City of Mbombela has ordered residents living downstream of Senteeko Dam, situated between Kaapsehoop and Barberton, to evacuate immediately.
The municipality said the dam wall is approaching failure following days of relentless rainfall across the Mpumalanga province.
Mayor Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko confirmed the severity of the situation, stating that “Senteeko dam wall is busy failing due to the rain.”
She warned that a collapse would send a devastating wall of water through multiple river systems.
“If the dam wall does fail, there will be a 1.82 million m³ rush of water into the Suidkaap,” Makushe-Mazibuko said.
Affected areas
Residents and businesses in the following areas are urged to move to higher ground immediately.
- Suidkaap from the top of the river down to Consort
- Those along or near the Kaap river from Consort to Kaapmuiden, and
- Areas around or near the Crocodile River
She emphasised that the situation is unpredictable.
“Please be on alert and don’t wait for the dam to break. If you are in the pathway, evacuate [immediately] and get to a safer place,” she said.
WATCH: The state of the dam wall
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Assessment teams dispatched but unable to reach dam
The Department of Water and Sanitation confirmed it has been notified about the private dam’s precarious condition and has mobilised response teams to assess the structure.
Speaking to The Citizen, the DWS explained that the dam was “at risk of collapsing”, but it was not able to assist.
“Currently, teams from Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Area have been dispatched to the dam in question to assess the structure. However, they are currently unable to access or reach the area due to flooded roads,” it said.
The department indicated that more information would be forthcoming once conditions permit proper evaluation.
When asked about specific evacuation zones, the department directed enquiries to the municipality that issued the evacuation orders for areas along the affected rivers.
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Provincial dams at capacity
The crisis at Senteeko Dam comes as water storage facilities across Mpumalanga have reached unprecedented levels.
According to the DWS’ weekly report on the provincial state of dams, 19 of the 22 monitored dams in Mpumalanga have reached or exceeded full capacity.
Only three dams remain below 100% capacity, with two above 90% and the other just more than 80%.
The department reported that water storage facilities continue to perform well overall, with the provincial average reaching 101.5% this week.
This represents an increase from the previous week’s 100.9% and stands above last year’s 93.9% for the same period.
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