Share

Cape Town assesses damage and continues mop-up operations after devastating floods

accreditation
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
The Western Cape government estimates nearly R1.4 billion in damages in the agriculture sector following flooding in the province.
The Western Cape government estimates nearly R1.4 billion in damages in the agriculture sector following flooding in the province.
Benton Geach/Gallo Images
  • Heavy rains and strong winds caused havoc in parts of the Western Cape over the long weekend, leading to ongoing mop-up operations in Cape Town.
  • Approximately 16 000 people have been impacted, with around 7 100 informal structures affected.
  • 7000 Eskom customers are still without electricity supply across the Western Cape. 


Mop-up operations are continuing in Cape Town after heavy rains and strong winds wreaked havoc in parts of the Western Cape over the long weekend.

The City's disaster risk management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said on Thursday that departments had been conducting assessments and that mop-up operations were continuing.

"To date, about 16 000 people have been impacted, with around 7 100 informal structures affected. Our disaster management officials are busy concluding assessments in all affected areas," she said.

Powell added that further assessments had also been completed in Kampies, Overcome Heights, Hangberg, and Rasta Camp in Ocean View to ascertain the damages as a result of sinkholes which formed around structures in these areas.

Thirty people are still being accommodated in the Macassar hall and will return to their homes later on Thursday. 

Residents from Stormhaven Park Retirement Village, who were evacuated on Monday, moved back to their homes by the evening. 

Kay's Caravan Park residents were evacuated to the Helpende Hand organisation for two days.

"Our humanitarian agency partners, like Sassa, the Department of Social Development, NGOs, and various community-based organisations have been assisting with humanitarian relief – [such as] hot meals, food parcels, blankets, and mattresses – to more than 10 000 affected people," Powell said.

The City's Roads and Infrastructure Management Department has provided building materials and sandbags in many of the affected areas.

READ | Nearly 250 schools damaged in Western Cape floods

Meanwhile, approximately 7 000 Eskom customers are still without electricity supply across the Western Cape, as technicians continue to repair damage to critical infrastructure caused by the recent storm.

On Monday, Eskom reported that over 80 000 customers had been left without power.

All Khayelitsha customers were restored in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The majority of the Overberg, Overstrand, Somerset West, and Kraaifontein customers were restored late on Wednesday evening.

"Restoration work in the Boland area is progressing well following the initial challenges technicians were faced with, namely limited access due to road closures and severe structural damage. Due to the extent of the damage, multiple teams are involved in a concerted effort to reconstruct the network to restore supply," Eskom said in a statement.



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 1041 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 504 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.76
+1.4%
Rand - Pound
23.43
+0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.08
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.25
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
924.10
-0.0%
Palladium
959.00
+0.1%
Gold
2,337.68
0.0%
Silver
27.19
-0.0%
Brent Crude
89.50
+0.6%
Top 40
69,358
+1.3%
All Share
75,371
+1.4%
Resource 10
62,363
+0.4%
Industrial 25
103,903
+1.3%
Financial 15
16,161
+2.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE