Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries Residents and businesses say the damage is extensive and recovery will take years with many still counting the cost of destroyed crops and the loss of livelihoods in an already struggling region Bloemhof has endured two major flood surges that displaced residents and devastated riverfront tourism businesses six floodgates were opened at the Vaal Dam rising inflows forced the opening of 10 gates pushing water levels even higher and worsening the situation Some evacuated residents say that they are unsure when they will be allowed to return and said they were afraid of further water surges if more water is released upstream “The damage to property and livestock has been significant They do not know how to cope,” said local councillor Albert Nel Approximately 150 households had been evacuated and many displaced residents were depending on donations to meet their daily needs "Water levels at both the Vaal and Bloemhof dams have decreased in recent days Choose a topic below and thereafter view all articles on the topic using the "Next >" button or swiping left Choose a topic below and thereafter view all articles on the topic using the "Next >" button or the keyboard right arrow key Water outflows at Bloemhof Dam have been reduced says the Department of Water and Sanitation while the five sluice gates at the Vaal Dam remain open to manage the inflows of water into the dam The dapertment said the outflows at Bloemhof Dam were decreased as the dam’s water levels subsided to 104.96% The water releases at the Bloemhof dam were reduced from 2 100 to 1900 cubic metres per second (mᵌ/s) at 12pm on Sunday The water outflows decrease follows Saturday’s reduction from 2500 mᵌ/s “These adjustments are necessary to manage the sustained high inflows and ensure safe operation of the dam.” the water levels have slightly dropped from Saturday’s 115.43% to 114.38% on Sunday and the inflows from the upper catchment are at 877.38 mᵌ/s with a discharge of 813.380 mᵌ/s to manage the water levels at the dam The controlled water releases at both the dams have led to overtopping of riverbanks downstream resulting in flooding that has affected settlements that are in the lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year floodline,” the department said in a statement on Sunday The department urged people living within the floodline of the Vaal River downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams The department said it continues to monitor inflow water levels in the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) to ensure that necessary precautions are in place in line with dam safety standards and hydrological monitoring systems to safeguard infrastructure and attenuate flood conditions.  sluice gates are opened when dams breach the full capacity mark to prevent the water resource infrastructure from failing as it may lead to a dam bursting and causing a disaster of unimaginable magnitude “The department is therefore implementing these necessary controlled water releases at the dams as part of dam safety precautions to safeguard the infrastructure and protect human life,” the department said General Enquiries newsfiles@gcis.gov.za Tel: 012 473 0213Editor Roze Britz roze@gcis.gov.za News Editor Janine Arcangeli janine@gcis.gov.zaEditor-in-Chief Zanele Mngadizanelemngadi@gcis.gov.za  Home | South Africa Communities and families in the flood-stricken areas of Bloemhof and Christiana in the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality in the North West are pleading with both government and the private sector to come to their rescue This after over 100 households were severely affected by the flooding of the Vaal River which has left many displaced and properties damaged The Department of Water and Sanitation says it will gradually close more sluice gates at the Vaal Dam by the end of the day those affected by the overflow say they need assistance to move on with their lives “People who have properties downstream also they had a lot of damage because the first floods went down and some of the walls fell down So I think it will be nice to them if they help the people to build the property down here.” “The only stuff I could retrieve was three sets of clothes I don’t know what is happening with the double store is also full of water the local authorities are equally concerned about the well-being of the affected families “We are always proactive as a municipality But we continue to plead with private sector and whoever who is a good samaritan to assist in terms of the donation that we may need because we are not sure as to when will the level decrease or at what time will the level go down we continue just to monitor the situation very closely so that as the level rises at least we are able to put systems in place to ensure that those that those that would have been affected at that particular time are then evacuated with immediate effect,” explains Mpho Pilane the speaker of the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale BLOEMHOF - Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina is warning Bloemhof residents to evacuate more sluice gates will have to be opened at the Bloemhof Dam    WATCH | Flooding prompts evacuation of downstream areas This has caused flooding and damages along the riverbanks. The Minister warns those who stay behind do so at their own risk. Authorities visited Bloemhof Dam, in the North West to assess the situation. JOHANNESBURG - The Water and Sanitation Department is urging residents evacuated near the Vaal and Orange river banks to stay away from flood-prone areas as conditions remain dangerous. Since last month, sluice gates have been gradually opened at several dams, including Vaal and Bloemhof, to release excess water. While some gates have since been closed, others remain open to manage high inflows. The department said several dams were still above normal levels and the situation was being closely monitored. Spokesperson Wisane Mavasa has warned residents not to return to oversaturated floodlines as the risk of renewed flooding remains high. "The Orange River, the Gariep and the Vanderkloof Dams are sitting at 108.70% and 108.31% [capacity] respectively and still spilling. Together with the discharges from Bloemhof Dam, this has led to rising water levels in the lower Orange River, affecting settlements along the river up to Upington in the Northern Cape." Sections ───   KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 12:35 Wed The Department of Water and Sanitation has reassured the public that the Bloemhof Dam remains structurally sound and safe despite visible damage to its upstream slope slabs The circulation of a social media video showing the damaged slabs raised safety concerns particularly in the wake of recent heavy flooding in North West Agri NW CEO Naudé Pienaar expressed concerns about the dam’s condition citing erosion from previous floods and structural vulnerabilities particularly when the dam exceeds 80% capacity “We have warned that further damage could be catastrophic and that urgent repairs are necessary,” Pienaar stated Mandla Mathebula refuted claims that the damage was caused by recent or past flooding “We are aware of the damaged slabs and want to assure our stakeholders and the public that despite this damage there is no imminent risk of dam failure,” Mathebula clarified He explained that the damage resulted from the gradual leaching of fine material through superficial contraction joints in the slabs “All precautionary stability checks were conducted during the design phase of the major maintenance work currently underway at the dam the upstream slope continues to meet the required safety standards,” he added Mathebula further stated that the department is actively managing water levels in both the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams to ensure safety: Mathebula emphasised that the situation is being closely monitored and that stakeholders will be informed promptly should any updates to operating procedures become necessary in response to an emergency OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh/cg North West scholar transport operators will finally receive payments Vrystaatse ouerpaar in hof ná kinders doodbrand Besoekers sprakeloos oor skouspelagtige Augrabies UV ontken aantygings oor buitelandse werknemers Ondersoek duur voort ná skietery op Lichtenburg Oekraïne vra Suid-Afrika om ontvoerde kinders te help terugbring Wyle pous Franciskus het begrafnisrituele vooraf vereenvoudig Mianmar-aardbewing: Hulp stroom in ná meer as 1 700 sterftes Suid-Afrikaners wen gesogte blommeskou-trofee in China Amid rapidly rising water levels at the Vaal Dam due to heavy inflows from the upper catchments the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will open six sluice gates to manage the water inflow of 2056.50 cubic metres per second (m3/s) of water flowing into the dam The department announced the opening of a fifth sluice gate at 2:30pm water outflows are also being increased incrementally at different times from 800 m3/s to 1050 m3/s at 09:00; 1300 m3/s at 11am; 1550 m3/s at 1pm; 1800 m3/s at 3pm and to 2000 m3/s by 5pm These adjustments are necessary to manage the continuous rising inflows and safe operation of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams which were sitting at 113.54% and 107.30% by midday “There are potential plans to further increase outflows from both dams tomorrow One sluice gate remains opened at Grootdraai Dam the Gariep and the Vandekloof Dams are currently sitting at 107.13% and 105.3% respectively and overspilling,” the department said in a statement on Thursday The department warned that the controlled and uncontrolled water releases at all these dams will lead to overtopping of riverbanks downstream of the Orange and the Vaal Rivers resulting in flooding of settlements that are in the lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year floodline “People living within the floodline downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams and have had to evacuate should continue to avoid the flooded areas as the river catchment remains oversaturated.” – SAnews.gov.za  BLOEMHOF - The Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality in Bloemhof is calling on South Africans to help families and communities affected by the Vaal Dam floods scores of households have been displaced and properties damaged along the Vaal River WATCH: Vaal flooding | Parts of N12 Freeway under water Ten of the dam’s sluice gates have been opened to maintain water levels, currently at 119 percent capacity. Those affected by the floods are still awaiting answers from authorities as to why they didn’t react sooner. JOHANNEBURG - Communities living near the Vaal River may experience further flooding, as more sluice gates at the Bloemhof Dam have been opened. The Department of Water and Sanitation has confirmed that it is continuing with controlled water releases at both dams to reduce rising water levels. Recent heavy rainfall has significantly increased levels at these dams, prompting authorities to open sluice gates to manage the overflow. These releases have already caused flooding along the banks of the Vaal River, damaging infrastructure and destroying several homes. Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said five more sluice gates at the Vaal Dam remain open. “The controlled water releases at both the dams have led to overtopping of riverbanks downstream, resulting in flooding that has affected settlements that are in the lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year flood line.  “As part of the dam safety protocols, sluice gates are opened when dams breach the full capacity mark, to prevent the water resource infrastructure from failing as it may lead to a dam bursting and causing a disaster of unimaginable magnitude.” Business people along the banks of the Vaal River in Bloemhof in the North West are pleading for assistance after their buildings were submerged when the river overflowed due to recent heavy rains Five radial gates have been opened at the Bloemhof Dam People who have been evacuated from their properties since Tuesday say they are in dire need of help “It all depends on if the insurance will pay If the government is willing to help us in that case yes we have no idea how we going to cope with this both emotionally and financially.” And we got no help from government.” Bloemhof residents evacuated following floods Lekwa Teemane Mayor Sebang Motlhabi is urging business owners to engage national government “Dams are a responsibility of national government in a form of the Water and Sanitation Department And the only thing that we are pleading is that the residents must work together with the national department relevant and if perhaps there is a concession from either the part of national government or from the part of the residents that they are close to the river and as a result of that they should not be building there Government must enter into talks with them on what is it that can be done for them to be relocated to operate their business somewhere.” Floods in areas near the Vaal River have severely affected about 130 households in the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality in Bloemhof in the North West Last Friday, ten sluice gates of the Vaal Dam and seven of the Bloemhof Dam were opened to maintain water levels that are currently over 100% capacity the Water and Sanitation Department says two sluice gates will gradually be closed at the Vaal Dam by this afternoon A community representative leading a humanitarian aid programme in Bloemhof and Christiana “The need is very huge so we as a community have come together We have made account available where money is paid into and then every person that feels that they need a meal And then we had also the Sanlam Foundation that bought us some hampers yesterday and then there was a donation of hundred bags of mielie meal that we will utilise amongst these people.” the municipality yesterday partially closed a section of the N12 between Bloemhof and Christiana A total of 10 sluice gates are now in operation at the Vaal Dam after authorities opened four more on Friday to manage rising water levels.   This comes after water levels risen rapidly overnight in the Vaal Dam due to heavy inflows on the upper catchments as a result of the continuous above-normal rainfall on already saturated catchments.In a statement the department announced that an additional four sluice gates were opened gradually on Friday from 9am until 1pm.  “This will bring the total number of gates open at the dam to 10 The dam is currently sitting at 118.48% with an inflow of 2448.24 cubic metres per second (m3/s) into the dam.“At Bloemhof Dam water outflows are also being increased incrementally at different times from 2000 m3/s to 2200 m3/s at 9am; 2400 m3/s at 11am; 2600 m3/s at 1pm; and 2800 m3/s by 3pm The dam level is currently sitting at 110.27% as of this morning,” the department said.These adjustments are necessary to manage the continuous rising inflows and safe operation of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams.With more inflows anticipated into the dams the department warned outflows may potentially be increased later in the afternoon the already opened gate has been increased to 2.5 metres (m) due to the higher inflows of 967.47 m³/s and a second gate will be opened at 11am to 1.0 m.“In the Orange River the Gariep and the Vandekloof Dams are currently sitting at 108.25% and 106.09% respectively and overspilling The controlled and uncontrolled water releases at all these dams will lead to overtopping of riverbanks downstream of the Orange and the Vaal Rivers resulting in flooding of settlements that are in the lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year floodline,” the department said.People living within the floodline downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams have been urged to continue to avoid the flooded areas as the river catchment remains oversaturated NORTH WEST -  Bloemhoef residents are once again forced to uproot their lives as flooding danger escalates More sluice gates have been opened at Vaal Dam to manage water levels and those living downstream are feeling the brunt.  According to the Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Wisane Mavasa water levels continue to rise at Bloemhof Dam due to heavy inflows into the dam READ | Disaster management teams remain on high alert at Vaal Dam Mavasa says Bloemhof Dam is sitting at 117.19% as of Monday morning with more inflows anticipated into the dam She says outflows may be increased again as and when necessary "The DWS continues to monitor inflow water levels in the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) to ensure that necessary precautions are in place in line with dam safety standards and hydrological monitoring systems to safeguard infrastructure and attenuate flood conditions," she says.   SuperSport Schools Plus Photo: Frans LombardGetting their mojo back and placing a tick in the win column will be on the agenda for Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof when they face Parel Vallei High School in a Hyundai Friday Nite Lights match The much-anticipated clash will serve as good preparation for the sides ahead of next week’s All Girls Festival and Girls Challenge They enter Friday night’s showdown in contrasting form with Bloemhof looking to bounce back from a defeat last time out while PV will be eager to ride a wave of good momentum In their last outing, coach Jenny King‘s Bloemhof side suffered a close 1-2 loss against Collegiate Girls’ High, from Gqeberha, while PV scored a dominant 5-1 victory over DF Malan Bloemhof faced Herschel Girls School the night before playing Collegiate and defeated the Cape Town school 2-1 The Stellenbosch girls enjoyed a break over the Easter long weekend but coach King said they’ve hit the ground running as they prepare for PV’s challenge “Rest is always good, but we stepped up our training this week, especially with our eye on the All Girls Festival next week,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus They have had a good start to their season Bloemhof is regarded as one of the top teams in the country after their outstanding performance at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival last month. They almost went all the way to the title, coming up just short in the final when they went down 0-1 to St Mary’s DSG, Kloof coach King wants her side firing on all cylinders She revealed what fans can expect from her team: “The key is to get back to the form we were in at St Mary’s,” she said and having tough attacking plays in the opposition’s defensive area.” The match kicks off at 18:00 and will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools Related News Dominant Jeppe u16A claims Alan Monk Top 10 title Vuyo Ndudane 2025-05-05 Parktown Boys’ High School hosted 10 hockey schools from across Gauteng for the u16 Alan Monk Top 10 Tournament Four goals by Reece Theunis highlighted a comprehensive 6-3 victory by South African College High School (SACS) over Paarl Gimnasium Paarl Gimnasium held their nerve to beat Herschel 3-2 in a penalty shootout to lift the inaugural Belgotex Sport Girls and elation highlighted day three’s action of the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield Herschel and Pearson will go head-to-head in the semifinals of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge on Saturday Parktown Boys’ High School hosted 10 hockey schools from across Gauteng for the u16 Alan Monk Top 10 Tournament Photo: Frans Lombard.St Mary’s DSG Kloof and HMS Bloemhof will face off for the title at the Standard Bank St Mary’s Waverley Festival on Sunday afternoon St Mary’s defeated Eunice and Bloemhof downed Rhenish Girls’ High in the semifinals to punch their tickets to the showdown St Mary’s DSG has won the trophy on two previous occasions and will be looking to end their seven-year wait for a third title have never won the St Mary’s Waverley Festival trophy and will be looking to make history St Mary’s DSG took on a spirited Eunice team in an entertaining clash in which they traded blows and made forays into each other’s halves without managing to breach the opposition’s defences That sent the contest into a penalty shootout and St Mary’s clinched a place in the title decider by a 2-0 margin emerged as the hero for the ladies from KwaZulu-Natal after pulling off two outstanding saves stepped up to the plate to take the first one for the Bloemfontein side but was denied by Mchunu who has tormented defenders at the festival and who played an integral role in St Mary’s DSG’s victory in the semifinals made no mistake with her team’s second effort to put them two goals clear Anebel Venter needed to convert her penalty to keep the contest alive but her shot was kept out by a diving save from Mchunu The Stellenbosch rivals launched excursions into each other’s halves and showed great drive but neither could find a goal as the defences kept up their outstanding form led from the front and converted the first penalty for her side with little fuss exhibited sound technique to give Bloemhof the advantage when she saved Leah du Plessis’s effort Mari Steyn doubled Bloemhof’s lead with a brilliant feint before driving the ball beneath goalkeeper Jasmine Aitken to make it 2-0 Grace Hobbs kept Rhenish in the contest with a lovely conversion of her penalty stroke which placed pressure on Bloemhof’s Mari Boezaart Boezaart has been a top performer for Bloemhof throughout the festival with her mix of skill and power and she showed off both when she fired a rocket past the Rhenish goalkeeper for her side’s third and match-winning goal St Mary’s and Bloemhof have enjoyed good runs at the festival and seem to be peaking at the right time Spectators can expect a humdinger in the final many thought the results were a foregone conclusion That’s because a week ago, both Bloemhof and Rhenish excelled at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival in Johannesburg The Western Cape duo finished in second and third positions, respectively, behind the winners, St Mary’s DSG, Kloof there is no doubt they were favoured heading into the clashes against Collegiate put together a decent showing at St Mary’s But facing Rhenish on Friday night before taking on Bloemhof the following day was a tall order Collegiate had nothing to lose, similar to their brother school, Grey High, who came from behind four times to draw 4-4 with Paul Roos just a few kilometres down the road Facing the reigning Fairtree Super 12 champions they frustrated the home side and defended like their lives depended on it but they capitalised on one opportunity when Kerrin Gillies found the back of the net Their Friday night outing ended in an encouraging 1-1 draw which left them with a quick turnaround before a meeting with St Mary’s runner-up coach Jenny King’s Bloemhof girls had narrowly defeated Herschel Girls School 2-1 That meant both teams carried some tired legs into Saturday’s showdown it would be about which team took its chances but Collegiate came from behind in the second half striking back twice with goals from Gillies and Kate Brennen to score a thrilling victory “I’m very happy with the outcome of this weekend,” Collegiate head coach Michael Abrahams told SuperSport Schools Plus “We wanted to be competitive and play a good brand of hockey and it has given us a good look at what to work on going forward.” Looking back on their Western Cape adventure the Gqeberha girls will take confidence from their stubborn defence which rescued them from some sticky situations Abrahams said that was about good preparation: “Our approach was to be good defensively The positive results will be a huge morale boost for Collegiate ahead of a busy schedule in the Eastern Cape and around the country “It’s always good to play against teams of this calibre It’s important that we continue to learn and grow from these types of games,” Abrahams concluded Collegiate 1-1 Rhenish Girls’ High School Collegiate 2-1 HMS Bloemhof Related News Dominant Jeppe u16A claims Alan Monk Top 10 title Vuyo Ndudane 2025-05-05 Parktown Boys’ High School hosted 10 hockey schools from across Gauteng for the u16 Alan Monk Top 10 Tournament, between Heartbreak, joy, and elation highlighted day three’s action of the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, in Gqeberha, on Friday as South Herschel and Pearson will go head-to-head in the semifinals of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge on Saturday, at Paarl Parktown Boys’ High School hosted 10 hockey schools from across Gauteng for the u16 Alan Monk Top 10 Tournament, between the Department of Water and Sanitation opened a fifth sluice gate at the Vaal Dam after water levels rose to 106% JOHANNESBURG - The Water and Sanitation Department says the recent opening of sluice gates at the Bloemhof and Vaal dams may result in flooding in low-lying areas The controlled release of water from the dams was conducted multiple times on Tuesday with the most recent sluice gate opened at 6pm on Wednesday Parts of the Vaal have been experiencing flooding in recent days due to these controlled releases ALSO READ: Expert says an earlier warning may have lessened impact of Vaal River flooding This was due to rising water levels caused by the recent heavy rainfall in the region. Water and Sanitation Department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa has advised residents in low-lying areas to evacuate. "The current controlled water releases at both the dams may lead to possible overtopping of riverbanks downstream, and this will affect infrastructure built in lower-lying areas within the 1-100 year flood line." Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof and their local rivals Rhenish Girls’ High School will clash on Sunday morning with a place in the title game on Sunday afternoon on the line Rhenish reached the final after eliminating the defending champion Durban Girls’ College (DGC) in the quarterfinals The teams finished their match level at 0-0 but the Western Cape girls then won it 2-1 in a penalty shootout They did not let the big moment overwhelm them,” their proud coach Chris Gerber said after the match The Rhenish coach emphasised that his charges showed a lot of determination against a talented and skillful DGC team Rhenish’s defence has been outstanding all tournament They didn’t concede a goal in their pool play and then conceded only one in the second stage Rhenish hardly needed their goalkeeper to step up who has played over 150 matches for the 1st XI “She is the embodiment of the spirit in the team She stepped up and saved the day,” Gerber commented Rhenish lifted the Fairtree Super 12 title in 2024 and will be looking to add the St Mary’s Waverley title to their cabinet neither Rhenish nor Bloemhof has previously won the St Mary’s Waverley Festival Bloemhof punched their ticket to the final four after beating Menlopark in the quarterfinals Coach Jenny King‘s charges maintained an enviable and unbeaten record on their path to the semi-finals winning seven of their 10 matches and drawing the other three their defence has been stiff and their offence effective They’ve surrendered only two goals and scored 17 Two of those 17 came in their 2-0 win over Menlopark The first one came seven minutes into the quarterfinal tie from Zani Boezaart who found herself on the end of a Bloemhof move into the Menlopark D but her effort was blocked by the Menlopark goalkeeper and Boezaart grabbed the chance with both hands firing a reverse stick shot into the top of the net “The team played at an intensity that caught Menlopark out and [there was] excellent ball speed and transferring of the ball,” King said Nina Louw has enjoyed a good festival in front of goal She has been on the scoresheet for Rhenish numerous times and she was on it in the quarterfinals she forced a turnover and rolled the ball into Menlopark’s circle but her attempt to lay off to another player was intercepted and executed an outstanding back-stick to slot the ball past the goalkeeper’s left foot Menlopark tried to fight their way back but without success The mouthwatering semifinal tie between Bloemhof and Rhenish starts at 10:20 on Sunday morning Photo: Khulani Media.Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof didn’t miss a beat on their march to the summit of Pool B after the second day of action at the Standard Bank St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival Coach Jenny King’s side added two wins and a draw to their lot from day one to finish the first stage undefeated Zani Boezaart found the back of the net for the Capetonians in their 1-0 win over Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies) in their first match on Friday morning King’s charges followed that up with a 3-0 victory over Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High a few hours later with Simone van der Merwe scoring a brace and Daniela Viljoen also striking the real test was our match against Eunice I don’t feel our defence had been really tested,” King said tested both their defence and intensity in that key encounter King’s charges went toe-to-toe with Coach Nika Coertzen‘s side There was little to separate the sides and Their performance against Eunice left King optimistic that Bloemhof will be able to handle anything their opposition throws at them in the next round “I am quite confident that the girls can rise to the occasion We just need to play a little bit more ball in the opposition half in those tough matches and make use of our chances get the ball down the sides of the field away from the central players/defenders,” King explained Bloemhof will be in Pool F in stage two of the festival They have a contest against St Mary’s Waverley lined up at 08:30 and a blockbuster against St Mary’s DSG Eunice finished with five points less than Bloemhof They incurred a single loss at the hands of St John’s DSG on Thursday afternoon ensured that was their only pool stage loss They convincingly won two of their three Friday encounters overcoming Affies 1-0 and St Andrew’s School for Girls 2-0 Eunice moves on to Pool G where a contest against St Cyprian’s at 09:50 awaits followed by a game against Rhenish at 12:55 tied for third place after each won three matches Garsfontein took third with a positive goal difference of five after scoring 11 goals and conceding six scored only three times while conceding just one goal Garsfontein’s reward is a place in Pool G with Eunice They tackle Rhenish at 09:25 and will also cross swords with St Cyprian’s at 13:20 Affies 1-0 Roedean Bloemhof 1-0 Affies Garsfontein 4-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High St John’s DSG 3-0 Roedean Eunice 2-0 St Andrew’s Bloemhof 3-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High Eunice 1-0 Affies Roedean 2-1 St Andrew’s Garsfontein 2-1 St John’s DSG St Andrew’s 0-0 St John’s DSG Bloemhof 0-0 Eunice The hockey extravaganza features 32 teams and runs through until Sunday Coach Jenny King‘s charges achieved a maximum haul of 12 points but Eunice had a superior goal difference and sits in second place Bloemhof made their intentions clear with a 5-0 rout Liela van Zyl led the scoring with a brace and Marie Steyn The Stellenbosch side found St John’s DSG to be a far tougher challenge Nina Louw‘s solitary goal then clinched victory for them when they faced Garsfontein in the afternoon The decline in goal output did not point to Bloemhof engaging autopilot in their successive 1-0 victories King said her players maintained high energy and intensity levels in all of their matches They matched that with smooth transfers through the midfield and connections down the flanks That consistency led them to a 3-1 win over St Andrew’s School for Girls in their last encounter of the day and Nina Louw added a third in the victory romping to a 4-0 win over Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School They followed up with a 4-1 victory over Roedean before they stumbled against St John’s DSG finished the day with a goalless draw against Garsfontein St John’s DSG began with a 0-0 draw against Affies The ladies from Pietermaritzburg followed that up with a 0-1 loss to the log leaders and they picked up an important one with a 1-0 defeat of Eunice Bloemhof will seek to continue their great run when they go up against Affies on Friday morning St John’s has an assignment against Roedean and Eunice will face off with St Andrew’s as the race for the honours in Pool B heats up Home | Business Thousands of hectares of crops along parts of the Vaal River have been destroyed during recent floods along the river Farmers planting lucerne and beans in the Bloemhof and Christiana areas in the North West were the most severely affected with some saying that they will not have the funds to replant their crops The majority of Barry van Vuuren’s lucern was submerged He says this is the seventh flood since he purchased the farm 25 years ago There was approximately 140 plus hectares directly covered with water And we think there was 25 to 35 hectares that was not covered with water but will possibly still be dying from too much water we think we will remain with between 25 and 45 We are not sure at this moment hectares of lucerne to carry on with farming,” says van Vuuren Agri Bloemhof’s Daan Lottering says the impact on farmers is immense “(The) impact on the farmers are quite severe especially the farmers next to the river There’s no crop that has been left over It’s getting hot and you can’t do nothing with it … and then the lucerne farmers they got the biggest loss because within two days that lucerne is going to be dead They have to replant them and that’s a very very high cost to replant them,” says Lottering Although the abnormal rainfall and the subsequent damage to crops were quite severe it is not expected that consumers will be greatly impacted much “There are some areas that recorded more than a thousand millimetres of rain in the last three months; that is more than double the normal rainfall There will be some severe damages in terms of infrastructure especially soya beans or the irrigated parts soya beans and maize in along the rivers can cause severe damage there but there was some expectancy of early harvesting of especially white maize in the lower orange river areas but that is not possible in some areas.” With agricultural equipment also damaged it will take farmers a few weeks at least to estimate their total losses Home » News » South Africa By Enkosi Selane The Department of Water and Sanitation has issued urgent warnings about potential flooding following increased water releases at both the Bloemhof and Vaal dams Officials implemented a series of strategic releases at Bloemhof Dam on Tuesday culminating in a discharge rate of 3000 cubic meters per second (m³/s) by 6pm “The current controlled water releases at both the dams may lead to possible overtopping of riverbanks downstream,” the department cautioned adding that infrastructure within the 1-in-100-year floodline could be affected The releases were necessary due to Bloemhof Dam’s water levels reaching a concerning 116.5% capacity The department implemented an incremental approach throughout Tuesday starting with increases to 2200 m³/s at 11am followed by adjustments to 2450 m³/s at 2pm “These adjustments are necessary to manage the sustained high inflows and ensure the safe operation of the dam The water outflow at the dam was last increased to 2000 cubic meters per second yesterday [Monday] evening,” explained officials authorities opened five of Bloemhof Dam’s radial gates — three fully and two partially while operating differently from those at Vaal Dam are essential for controlling water levels ALSO READ: Police tip Northern Cape motorists after Saws warning The Vaal Dam is experiencing similar challenges representing a 1.76% increase from Tuesday’s 112.85% According to The Reservoir’s daily updates the Vaal is currently receiving inflows of 1141.1 m³/s from the upper catchment Five sluice gates remain open at the Vaal Dam while no river valves are currently in operation with an outflow of 1093.9 m³/s and water temperature at 22.0°C ALSO READ: Flood warning in Mpumalanga after devastating week of weather The department has issued strong evacuation warnings to affected communities: “If you live within the floodline of the Vaal River downstream of the Vaal Dam and the Bloemhof Dam We urge you to evacuate to a safe area to protect yourself and your loved ones.” Residents were further advised that “valuable equipment and livestock should be removed from the flood zone” to reduce potential losses from the anticipated flooding NOW READ: Vaal Dam flooding: Why residents are shrugging off evacuation warnings Playing at the Stellenberg High School AstroTurf both sides punched above their weight and gave their supporters reason for optimism in 2025 they beat powerhouses Springfield Convent School Their lone defeat was a 0-3 setback against Herschel coach Hibbert said he was pleased with how his team conducted itself “We had a good day out. It was our first time taking part in the Spar Hockey Festival,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus “We went in not knowing what to expect because it’s a short format “We were a bit nervous as to how we’d play It was a good learning experience for us.” Hibbert and his team head to the Cape Co-Ed Festival next week as the hockey season rapidly gains momentum Herschel also ran out onto the turf four times and registered ticks in the winning column thrice They scored an impressive seven goals and conceded two They were sharp on attack and showed top-class composure in their wins over Reddam Captain Hannah Henderson said the team was happy with its performance and is looking forward to the remainder of the season “The Spar Festival has always been an incredible tournament and a great preparation to start the season,” Henderson told SuperSport Schools Plus “It is a well-organised tournament and it is so awesome to be able to get tested We know what to improve on for the rest of the season “I’m excited to be a part of this year’s Herschel’s first team and I look so forward to what the season holds.” was also on top of their game and ended the day unbeaten They dominated their opponents at the same event in 2024 Coach Jenny King‘s side was dangerous in front of goal and resolute at the back They scored six and conceded only one goal in wins over Herschel they’ll be feeling confident ahead of the Springfield Pre-Season Festival Reddam House Constantia 1-0 Springfield Herschel 2-0 Stellenberg Reddam House Constantia 3-0 DF Malan Springfield 2-0 Somerset College HMS Bloemhof 2-1 Stellenberg Herschel 3-0 Reddam House Constantia DF Malan 0-0 Somerset College HMS Bloemhof 1-0 Herschel Stellenberg 1-0 Springfield Reddam House Constantia 1-0 Somerset College Stellenberg 3-1 DF Malan HMS Bloemhof 2-0 Springfield Herschel 2-1 Somerset College HMS Bloemhof 1-0 DF Malan St Cyprian’s 1-0 Parel Vallei Paarl Girls 1-0 Wynberg Fairmont 1-0 Bellville Parel Vallei 0-0 Durbanville St Cyprian’s 2-0 Paarl Girls Fairmont 1-0 Wynberg Durbanville 3-1 Bellville St Cyprian’s 1-1 Fairmont Wynberg 0-0 Parel Vallei Paarl Girls 1-0 Durbanville St Cyprian’s 3-0 Bellville Paarl Girls 3-1 Parel Vallei Durbnville 0-0 Fairmont Wynberg 1-1 Bellville Worcester Gimnasium 2-2 Settlers Curro Durbanville 1-0 Charlie Hofmeyr Hermanus 1-0 La Rochelle HTS Drostdy 1-1 Swartland Worcester Gimnasium 1-1 Charlie Hofmeyr Curro Durbanville 1-0 Hermanus La Rochelle 4-1 Swartland Settlers 2-1 HTS Drostdy Worcester Gimnasium 2-0 Hermanus Curro Durbanville 1-1 Swartland Settlers 2-1 La Rochelle HTS Drostdy 1-1 Charlie Hofmeyr Worcester Gimnasium 3-0 Swartland Settlers 2-1 Curro Durbanville Charlie Hofmeyr 1-0 La Rochelle HTS Drostdy 0-0 Hermanus teams in the Western Cape are already putting stick to ball in preparation for the prestigious tournament After two weeks of playing in pre-season games some of the province’s top guns will assemble at Bloemhof Girls’ High School to face one other in the first round of a mini-tournament The event has been organised to help the teams to work on their structures and get in enough match minutes before the St Mary’s Festival The hosts, Somerset College, Herschel Girls School, and Paarl Girls’ High will be in attendance. Paarl Gimnasium will miss the first round of matches but will participate in the second round on 26 March Matters in the province have been evenly matched after two pre-season events, the Spar Hockey Festival, and the Springfield Festival The hosts, Bloemhof, impressed at the Spar Festival, where they racked up victories against DF Malan, Stellenberg, Springfield, and Herschel Coach Jenny King’s side finished joint-seventh at last year’s St Mary’s tournament, tied with Die Hoërskool Menlopark Paarl Girls’ High and Herschel have also shown promising signs early on in the season Girls’ High began the season with a new head coach and he is slowly but surely stamping his authority and philosophy on the team Last weekend, they took part in the Springfield Festival and defeated Wynberg Girls’ High 1-0 before playing to a goalless draw with their town rivals is another side that’s coming to life this season They were far from convincing at the Spar Festival but showed glimpses of their potential They’ll aim to use the outing to build up some confidence before making the trip  to Gauteng for what is considered to be the biggest and most prestigious girls’ hockey tournament in South Africa 17:00 – Bloemhof vs Somerset College; 17:25 – Herschel vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:50 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Somerset College; 18:15 – Bloemhof vs Herschel; 19:00 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Bloemhof; 19:25 – Somerset College vs Herschel 17:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Herschel; 17:25 – Bloemhof vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:50 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Somerset College; 18:15 – Herschel vs Paarl Girls’ High; 18:40 – Somerset College vs Bloemhof; 19:05 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Paarl Gimnasium; 19:30 – Somerset College vs Herschel; 19:55 – Bloemhof vs Paarl Gimnasium the Department of Water and Sanitation reassures the public that there is no imminent risk of dam failure THE Department of Water and Sanitation has responded to a video of slabs collapsing at the Bloemhof Dam in the Free State.  the Department has urged people to refrain from sharing misinformation which leads to panicking.  Wisane Mavasa spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation said they were aware of the video circulating on social media showing damages of the upstream slopes slabs of the Bloemhof Dam.  "We are aware of the damages of the slabs and would like to advise our stakeholders and the public that despite these damages there is no imminent risk of the dam failure.  "The perception is that these slabs were damaged due to recent or previous floods we can categorically state that it is not the case.  "The issue at this moment started a while back when the fine materials started leaching through the superficial construction joints opening on the slab due to wave action."  these are joined slabs as the dam was being constructed and this was and has been a progressive action The Department said all precautionary stability checks were done during the design stage of the major maintenance work that is currently taking place at that dam.  "The assessment shows that the upstream slopes are still stable and meet the minimum required factors of safety."  The Department said in further addressing the safety aspect there is a contractor on site dealing with this.  "The Bloemhof Dam is currently at one hundred percent and an additional sixteen percent flood absorption capacity.  "We are managing actively the water levels of both the Vaal Dam and the Bloemhof Dam to ensure the water level does not exceed hundred %."  The situation is being actively monitored.  "Should there be an update of the operating procedures of the dam to respond to any impending emergency our stakeholders will be duly informed timeously.  "We further urge members of the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading misinformation as this causes unnecessary panic during the heavy rains." The Department said on Wednesday the Vaal Dam was currently sitting at 97 percent and is being monitored.  The girls from Gqeberha will face Rhenish on Friday at 17:45 before taking on Bloemhof on Saturday at 11:30 A stern examination awaits Collegiate, who would’ve seen plenty of Rhenish and Bloemhof in action at the past weekend’s St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival the Western Cape duo was among the leading teams and played some outstanding hockey displaying a high level of competitiveness and a burning desire to win They dominated throughout the pool stages and met in an enticing semifinal that went down to the wire and needed a penalty shootout to decide the winner Bloemhof held their nerve to grab a 3-1 win, which booked them a place in the final against St Mary’s DSG, Kloof. They went down 0-1 in the title-deciding clash Rhenish, meanwhile, played to a goalless draw with Eunice High School in the bronze medal match which meant they tied for third with the Bloemfontein outfit While the two Stellenbosch schools battled it out for one of the top four positions Collegiate was also in action and the girls from Gqeberha certainly punched above their weight they ended their festival on a high with a 2-0 victory against Herschel Girls School to finish in 20th place in the elite 32-team field especially when considering the opposition they faced and the number of matches they had played before the St Mary’s Festival Last month, they played their first competitive fixtures at the Synsport Greg Beling Festival winning each of their four matches to emerge from the challenge unscathed “The Greg Beling gave us a good platform for the season,” coach Abrahams told SuperSport Schools Plus after the festival “We went there looking at different aspects and what works best for us and the girls did well and implemented what was being said “They played a good and exciting brand of hockey and scored some good goals.” Playing a similar brand of hockey will come in handy against Rhenish and Bloemhof who might be hurting after the St Mary’s Festival and determined to demonstrate their pedigree against another leading team has an experienced lineup and they’ll bank on seasoned campaigners Gemma Bower and Aimee Pienaar who both reached 100 games for the side at Mary’s Cassidy Williams is another key player and is also a member of the centurions’ club Collegiate’s ranks include seven Eastern Province u18A representatives who will all look to make their mark against the Stellenbosch powers both of whom have already staked a solid claim to being among the best teams in the country The two clashes will be streamed on the SuperSport Schools App. Follow SuperSport Schools Plus for all the updates ───   KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 12:10 Sun Residents around the Vaal Dam have been urgently advised to evacuate as water levels continue to rise following heavy rainfall The Department of Water and Sanitation has reported a rapid increase in inflows into the Vaal Dam prompting the opening of a fifth sluice gate to manage the escalating water levels Water and Sanitation spokesperson Wisane Mavasa confirmed the rapid rise in water levels at the Vaal Dam is due to the ongoing rainfall in the Vaal River catchment area a fifth sluice gate was opened at 10:00 today This follows the opening of the fourth sluice gate just 24 hours earlier the water storage levels in the dam were at 107.82% The outflow from the dam will increase from 550 cubic meters per second (m³/s) to just under 700 m³/s.  The inflow into the dam is currently at 1,000 m³/s These increased releases from the dam are expected to raise the water levels in both the Vaal Dam and the river potentially overtopping riverbanks and impacting surrounding areas water levels at the Bloemhof Dam have also risen significantly water releases from Bloemhof Dam will be gradually increased throughout the day starting at 10:00 with an outflow of 1,000 m³/s which will escalate to 1,400 m³/s by 4:00 PM Mavasa warned the increased outflows could result in the riverbanks downstream overflowing which would affect infrastructure situated in low-lying areas within the 100-year floodplain or within 100m of the river The risk of flooding is particularly high for communities in areas around the Vaal Triangle as well as for farmers with infrastructure and pumps positioned along the river As the outflows from the Vaal Dam are expected to reach the Barrage in about six hours and flow into the Bloemhof Dam in three to four days authorities are closely monitoring the situation and issuing continued warnings The increased water levels are likely to cause widespread flooding and anyone living or working in vulnerable areas near the riverbanks to evacuate immediately and other downstream locations are strongly advised to move to higher ground.  She also emphasised the importance of removing valuable equipment and movable infrastructure from potential flood zones to mitigate any risk of loss or damage Riparian landowners along the Vaal River are also urged to take the necessary precautions to protect their properties The department and local and national disaster management teams are actively working to monitor and respond to the situation The Disaster Management operations at national and local levels are in full coordination with local police which is also involved in evacuation and monitoring efforts The department is continuing to track the water levels in the Vaal River System and will issue further updates as necessary OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi