REPAIRS to flood-damaged houses in Windhoek’s Acacia are are nearing an end.
Some families who had to flee their homes three weeks ago were expected to move back in at the weekend. But it will take longer before residents have access to all the facts related to the disaster.Developers Dannic Construction said at the end of last week that their engineer’s and surveyor’s reports had been finalised.However, they were not prepared to divulge the details to The Namibian.The City Council said it could be at least two more weeks before its investigations were concluded.City Public Relations Officer, Ipupa Davids, said that the municipality was appointing a surveyor to measure the extent of the floods to determine that the floods exceeded the 1-in-50-year magnitude to which builders are obliged to adhere.But while the technicalities are still being finalised, the area has nearly been restored to its former appearance.Last week Dannic Construction’s estate agent Mariette Spruyt said progress in fixing the damage had been fast and that the focus could soon return to the 20 new houses it was scheduled to build.She said no changes would be made to the design and construction of the new houses.According to her, the floods proved the durability of their product.”There is no need to change anything because they are very solidly built”.Spruyt said the development was being built outside the 1-in-100-year floodline.Besides replacing mostly carpets and cupboards in about 16 damaged houses, roads and pavements have been cleaned up.A bridge over the Arebbusch River at the entrance to the development has been repaired after the strong waters ripped off the railings and some pipes laid across it.The electric fence that encircled the entire area has, however, not yet been replaced since its position will depend on the need for reinforcements against future threats of flooding, Spruyt said.Last week the municipality started clearing away rubble and building sand in the river after preliminary investigations identified them as a major cause of flooding in the area.This process has, however, been on hold because of complaints from erf owners in Dorado Park, along the opposite river bank, who say their property would be affected by the cleaning.The municipality said on Thursday that it had given Dorado Park residents two weeks to formally support their claims but that more cleaning still needed to be done in that section of the river.But it will take longer before residents have access to all the facts related to the disaster. Developers Dannic Construction said at the end of last week that their engineer’s and surveyor’s reports had been finalised. However, they were not prepared to divulge the details to The Namibian. The City Council said it could be at least two more weeks before its investigations were concluded. City Public Relations Officer, Ipupa Davids, said that the municipality was appointing a surveyor to measure the extent of the floods to determine that the floods exceeded the 1-in-50-year magnitude to which builders are obliged to adhere. But while the technicalities are still being finalised, the area has nearly been restored to its former appearance. Last week Dannic Construction’s estate agent Mariette Spruyt said progress in fixing the damage had been fast and that the focus could soon return to the 20 new houses it was scheduled to build. She said no changes would be made to the design and construction of the new houses. According to her, the floods proved the durability of their product. “There is no need to change anything because they are very solidly built”. Spruyt said the development was being built outside the 1-in-100-year floodline. Besides replacing mostly carpets and cupboards in about 16 damaged houses, roads and pavements have been cleaned up. A bridge over the Arebbusch River at the entrance to the development has been repaired after the strong waters ripped off the railings and some pipes laid across it. The electric fence that encircled the entire area has, however, not yet been replaced since its position will depend on the need for reinforcements against future threats of flooding, Spruyt said. Last week the municipality started clearing away rubble and building sand in the river after preliminary investigations identified them as a major cause of flooding in the area. This process has, however, been on hold because of complaints from erf owners in Dorado Park, along the opposite river bank, who say their property would be affected by the cleaning. The municipality said on Thursday that it had given Dorado Park residents two weeks to formally support their claims but that more cleaning still needed to be done in that section of the river.
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