Transcript
CAPTAIN LITIANA LEWEITOVO: We've opened up like 2-3 times already this year.
SALLY ROUND: And in such a short space of time?
LL: Yes, yes. But as you see we are the army and we are ready all the time. As you can see we have a container at the back there, that is actually our disaster container. We have all the things there.
SR: And people who have come this time would have been to and from their homes several times in the last month?
LL: Twice this month. So it quite a big thing for us as we need to feed them, give them space and give them medical assistance.
SR: What happened in their area?
LL: Well it is just really easily flooded and they are really affected by the natural disaster and every time they are affected they know that they have to come here. There are others who will go to the schools but they prefer to come here.
SR: How many do you have?
LL: We have 56 at the moment. We have 41 adults, 12 children and 3 babies we have got here with us.
SR: Yes I can see beautifully kept records with everybody's name, and whether they are a family and babies.
LL: Because the government too needs that and when they come around we just give them that.
SR: So these people these people, these families who come and go. They evacuate and then go back home, clean up. Why are they still in those places? Do they have no choice?
LL: They love their place because probably their parents who were there or had parents who were there, or they don't have enough finance to move from there and so that is the only choice they have.
SR: And is it the case that it has gotten much wetter?
LL: Yes the experience that they are telling us that these floods are more serious than before. The level of the water is more serious now and higher than before.
SR: Do you have enough resources when you have this problem that happens quite frequently now?
LL: In that I could say that everything we have it would not be enough but at the moment we can cope at the moment with like 50 to 200 people in a hall.
SR: And what is the people's mood when this happens?
LL: Probably confused or not really angry because we can't do anything but the thing is they know what to do in a disaster and at least here they are near to this place and it is easy for them to come. Before when the weather situation was getting bad they decided to come the day before that when it is still daytime. I think before the people never used to take weather situation or weather broadcasts seriously but now we see that they have done that and taken broadcasts and warnings from the government and the people in charge they are taking it seriously now.
