MCGREGOR STILL ISOLATED AFTER STORM

The town of McGregor in the Western Cape is still cut off from the rest of the country after severe downpours last week.

A bridge connecting the town to the neighbouring town of Robertson suffered serious damage and has led to the town requesting urgent help from Gift of the Givers, the South African humanitarian aid group.

The organisation’s Ali Sablay said the received calls for urgent intervention.

“Gift of the Givers teams received frantic calls asking for our urgent intervention in McGregor. The community has been completely cut off as the only road into the town has completely washed away. Food supplies have run out, there is a water shortage in the town, fuel supplies have dried out and there is no money in ATMs.”

The first load of essentials was delivered on Tuesday via a gravel road because it was impossible for delivery vehicles to enter the town at this stage.

“The initial plan was to transport aid via a helicopter but this has not materialised. We managed to find a back road, a gravel road. Unfortunately, this gravel road is only accessible with the assistance of 4x4’s. One of our partners has made available seven vehicles to Gift of the Givers.”

Image credit: Head Topics