Floods leave 60 Langa families out in the cold

Cape Town – Sixty Langa families have been left out in the cold after heavy rain flooded their homes over the past few days.

The flooding in Cape Town comes as snowfall hit the Klein Karoo, forcing the closure of major roads and a mountain pass.

Cape Town disaster management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said the City’s informal settlements department would assess and provide flood kits to the affected Langa residents.

“No emergency sheltering was activated,” Powell said.

She said there were no other major incidents.

The snowfall on the Swartberg Mountains, north of Oudtshoorn, forced the closure of the Swartberg Pass between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert yesterday, provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said.

This traditionally means trips up the

mountains for adventurers, but this time residents may only experience it from their chilly sitting rooms, as municipal spokesperson

Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe said in terms of lockdown regulations, visiting snow was not permitted.

“In terms of the alert level 4 regulations issued by Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on April 29, visiting of snow is not listed as essential service, It has also not been catered for in Chapter 3 of these regulations on movement of persons,” he said.

The SA Weather Service said yesterday localised flooding was expected to continue in

Cape Town, and very cold conditions were expected over the Northern Cape.

Cape Times

• PICS: Capetonians feel the cold and rain as winter arrives with a bang

• Livelihoods at risk as entire ecosystems could be under threat

• Snowfall, gale force winds and icy conditions predicted as SA braces for cold front from Monday