Newcastle Municipality warns residents about storm damage fraud

The Newcastle Local Municipality is urging residents to remain vigilant against fraudulent messages circulating in the community, falsely claiming that individuals affected by recent thunderstorms must report water damage losses to the Disaster Management Team to receive any form of assistance.

This misinformation comes as the municipality grapples with the aftermath of severe flooding from a thunderstorm that struck on Sunday.

The misleading message, which purports to originate from the Newcastle Disaster Management Unit, reads: “In light of the flash floods that affected Newcastle on the 9/11/2025, due to the non-maintenance and collapse of critical infrastructure, we request that every member who suffered a loss due to the water damage call the Disaster Management Team of Newcastle Municipality to report such damage. 

“The Disaster Management must then assess your premises and provide you with an incident report. The incident report will then be forwarded to the local, district and province for immediate assistance at the various levels. 

“Without the assessment, the municipality will again choose to ignore your losses and allow a repeat (of) these disasters in the future.” 

It concluded with: “All those affected please get in contact with your local ward councillors….”

However, the Newcastle Municipality has categorically stated that this information is incorrect, labelling it as fake news.

“The information contained in this message is incorrect and must be regarded as fake news,” it said. 

“The municipality reiterates that all official announcements and notices are issued only through our verified social media pages.”

The municipality urged residents to be cautious, verify all information, and refrain from spreading unverified content, as such actions contribute to unnecessary panic and misinformation.

It also said residents should follow official municipality channels for credible updates and accurate municipal communication. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, Newcastle Municipality Mayor Xolani Dube said on-site assessments of affected areas revealed that the municipality’s drainage systems were overwhelmed, partly due to debris blockages and improper waste disposal. 

Dube emphasised the need for regular maintenance of stormwater drains and urged businesses and residents to refrain from disposing of waste and chemicals into the drainage system. 

The inadequate capacity of the stormwater infrastructure exacerbated the severity of the flooding, he also noted.

“We are working tirelessly to address these issues and ensure that our drainage systems are functioning optimally. As the municipality, we have written to the Department of Water and Sanitation requesting intervention and specialised funding to address the problems with the Ncandu River, Amcor Dam, and the small rivulets,” Dube said. 

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za