Johannesburg -
More rain, dirty laundry, wet roads and no sunshine in sight. This is the grim reality facing Joburg households this weekend as the rainy weather persists.
According to the South African Weather Service, more widespread showers are expected to continue in the province until Thursday.
But laundromats all over the city are smiling all the way to the bank and taking advantage of the gloomy situation.
“The more it rains, the better it is for us. We’re so busy now,” said Fran Thaze, who runs one of the two Pressed in Time laundry and dry cleaning services in North Riding. Thaze’s branch is situated at the Bel Air Shopping Centre.
She added since it began raining last Saturday they had doubled their resources.
“We usually work with two ladies at the back. But we have called in two more people to assist us. The demand is high and we expect no less this weekend.”
Thaze said many of her new customers were people who had never used laundromats.
Mike Bhoolia, owner of Five Star Dry Cleaners in Braamfontein, said they had received a number of requests for tumble driers from frustrated residents.
“Most people have washed their clothes but have been unable to dry them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hazel Galleynore of My Maid in Jukskei Park, said she had learnt a great lesson in 2008 when the country last saw load shedding – she bought a generator.
Galleynore, who runs a collection and drop-off laundry service, said:
“People definitely want help. Some have piles of wet clothes that need to be dried urgently. I run a small business so I take whatever I can handle.”
Yesterday, several areas in the city were reportedly flooded from the previous day’s rain.
The Gauteng government said its Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ Provincial Disaster Management Centre, alongside emergency management services, were working round the clock to respond and offer aid in affected areas.
Temporary accommodation, food parcels and blankets have been provided to people displaced by the floods.
About 70 shacks in the Vusimuzi informal settlement near Tembisa were said to be flooded and 25 displaced families moved to a community hall.
Ninety shacks in Kliptown were also flooded.
EMS spokesman Nana Radebe said they had identified areas prone to flooding and were on standby.
The South African Weather Services has attributed the heavy downpours to a low pressure system
It said a moist air mass associated with tropically-sourced air was expected to remain in circulation until Thursday, resulting in another long episode of widespread rain showers.
Saturday Star