Cape Town - The Western Cape government is assessing the damage caused by several days of extreme weather, estimated to be in excess of R1billion.
This, as a level 4 weather warning has been issued for disruptive rain today across the City of Cape Town, Langeberg, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Theewaterskloof, Witzenberg, Bergrivier, Breede Valley, Drakenstein, and Cederberg.
The province said once damage assessments had been completed, the provincial government would approach the national government for financial assistance.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC, Anton Bredell, said during an interview the damage related to the weather was estimated at around R1bn, excluding agricultural damage.
While damage assessments are still being conducted, the figure provided by the MEC is based on previous floods and available information at the time.
“It may change once the official damage assessments are completed,” Bredell’s spokesperson, Wouter Kriel, said.
During the Western Cape Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Budget Vote debate 2024/25 earlier this year, Bredell said the province faced R3.5bn’s worth of infrastructure that was destroyed as a result of two flooding events in June and September last year.
Last week, National Disaster Risk Management declared the event a provincial disaster.
In a statement on Wednesday, following the first meeting of the provincial cabinet, the Western Cape government said the province had still not received all the disaster funding from last year.
It added that relevant provincial government departments would resubmit documentation as the funding was essential for disaster recovery.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa referred to the situation of people settling in low-lying and wetlands areas as a “ticking time bomb”.
Hlabisa on Monday undertook a site visit to some of the informal communities impacted by the series of cold fronts.
The storms affected 158 097 people and 47 663 structures.
The City’s Human Settlements Directorate has issued over 10 000 flood kits and is expected to continue to do so with more unfavourable weather conditions predicted.
In a statement, Mayco member for Human Settlements Carl Pophaim said: “I have co-ordinated senior informal settlements management to evaluate all high-risk informal settlements in low-lying areas and floodplains in order to urgently develop a pragmatic relocation strategy detailing what will be required to move our residents out of these spaces sustainably.”
The City said 37 areas had been impacted, including Khayelitsha, Lwandle in Strand, Nomzamo, Gugulethu, Masiphumelele, Macassar, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Mfuleni, Tafelsig and Vygieskraal, Ocean View.
Pophaim said a number of informal settlements were situated in floodplains or waterbodies and were at a high risk.
He said the City estimated 100 000 social housing opportunities were possible at Wingfield, Youngsfield, Ysterplaat, Culemborg and the Parliamentary village.
“The release of these national mega-properties for housing would make a huge difference in providing opportunities for qualifying residents given the sheer scale of the well-located military land compared to the very limited land with housing potential owned by the City and province close to the CBD,” Pophaim said.
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service said the disruptive rain today was predicted to lead to localised flooding of roads and susceptible settlements.
“Another cold front is expected to bring rainfall and showers over the south-west of the Western Cape on Thursday, July 18. The bulk of the rainfall is expected in the morning and into the afternoon. Rainfall accumulations of about 20mm to 30mm can be expected to reach higher amounts in the mountainous areas.
“Due to the ground already being saturated, localised flooding of roads and susceptible settlements is likely.”