Human Settlements disaster relief teams from all spheres of government have arrived in the Eastern Cape Amatole District Municipality to assess damage and give immediate help to the communities affected by heavy storms which battered the area yesterday leaving a tale of destructions to properties and infrastructure.  
 

After receiving notification on Tuesday, Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane deployed three teams from Emergency Housing Unit to assess situation and determine the kind of help necessary in relation to the provision of much needed shelter during these difficult times.  The teams will do a verification process in the three affected municipalities in the Amatole District which include Great Kei, Raymond Mhlaba and Amahlathi Local Municipalities.  
 

However, people in need of immediate accommodation have been temporarily housed in mass care centers available in the area.  Minister Simelane has tasked officials to work around the clock to relocate other victims to the Temporary Emergency Housing units with the assistance of the local municipalities.
 

Based on the preliminary report from the deployed teams, there is need to relocate families whose mud houses collapsed during storms to Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) and  provide building materials for the communities to rebuild their  destroyed structures.  
 

The team will have a clear magnitude of the of disaster once the verification process has been completed.  
 

Enquiries: Tsekiso Machike, Spokesperson to the Minister on 077 410 5050 Tsekiso.machike@dhs.gov.za OR Mandulo Maphumulo, Acting Head of Communications on 082 099 7699 I Mandulo.maphumulo@dhs.gov.za  
 

Issued by the Ministry of Human Settlements, Govan Mbeki House 240, Justice Mahomed Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria