Cape Town - With over 150 000 people and 47 000 households both formal and informal impacted, the recent storms affecting the Western Cape have resulted in an infrastructure crisis with the government starting repair work in the hardest affected communities.
The Western Cape was declared a disaster area by the National Disaster Management Centre on Friday, with spokesperson for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC, Wouter Kriel saying it will assist to obtain additional resources to sustain disaster management operations.
“That will help us going forward especially if there are damage claims which we would like to apply for from the national fiscus and it also makes it easier for different spheres of government to work together to provide support. But in saying that, the province has been treating this as a disaster right from the start,” Kriel said.
At the Joint Operations Centre meeting on Sunday morning, it was said that the dams and rivers were full but not flooding at the moment.
In terms of evacuations, ward 99 in Khayelitsha remains the hardest hit and where most people suffered either loss of shelter or flooding in their homes.
Some people who were requested to evacuate have been permitted to return, while others have not, Kriel said.
Shelter was being provided by the National Human Settlements Department.
Kriel said the situation in Citrusdal also remained serious, with access routes either flooded or having sustained serious damages.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said since July 3, 47 663 structures and 158 097 people have been affected by the weather.
Powell said mop-up operations are ongoing and will continue for the next few weeks.
A number of residents also remain without power as the turbulent weather caused damage to electrical infrastructure, and with the weather impeding repairs in some areas.
“There has been a substantial increase in calls for assistance from backyard dwellers and assessments are being made in these areas.
“The City's Informal Settlements Management Department issued 1090 flood kits in various informal settlements over the weekend, in addition to the kits handed out during the week,” Powell said.
“The collapse at Southfield Canal in Plumstead has affected two property walls, prompting the placement of sandbags and ongoing cleaning of the canal.
“With rivers and other water bodies already at full capacity, catchment management officials are closely monitoring these waterways.”
Weather-related power outages are currently affecting twenty-four areas across the city, and Powell said officials are working nonstop to restore power.
“At least 18 huge trees were uprooted over the weekend in the areas of Bellville, Durbanville, Constantia, Tokai, Kuilsriver, Eersteriver, Noordhoek, Silvermine, Sun Valley, Lentegeur, Sunnydale, Parkwood and Redhill.
“Many roadways have been affected, wither by flooding or rockfalls and mudslides. Work is ongoing to address these impacts.”
In a statement, Eskom said its recovery operations are continuing, as areas remain without power due to storm-related damage.
“Some customers across the Western Cape are still without electricity due to network infrastructure damage caused by the current severe weather conditions. Districts mainly affected are the Cape Winelands, Overberg and the West Coast where structures have collapsed, and sections of power lines were washed away by heavy flooding.”
Eskom said flooding and road closures are preventing its technicians from accessing some of these faults.
The South African Weather Service has not issued any weather warnings for today.