Rand Water and Dws Are Blamed by Residents for ‘man-made’ Vaal Floods

Some residents who have been impacted by the recent floods in the Vaal have characterized the surge of water as man-made.

The Vaal Dam’s sluice gates were opened over the weekend after it was filled due to sustained heavy rains.

According to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), this was done to alleviate water pressure after heavy rain caused dams that feed into the Vaal and Orange river systems to overflow.

The DWS urged farming communities along the river system on Friday to take precautions to safeguard human life and livestock, as well as to prevent property damage, as rapidly rising water levels were expected.