Severe weather in Western Cape affects over 103,000, prompting disaster classification
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Western Cape has formally requested disaster classification in response to a severe storm that struck the province, killing 11 people and displacing more than 103,000 people in Cape Town alone last week.
Yesterday, Head of Disaster Management Colin Deiner said recent storms were caused by a different weather system than the floods that led to a national disaster declaration in six provinces just days before the second storm hit.
The storm severely affected the Cape Winelands District, including the Breede Valley and Witzenberg municipalities, as well as parts of the West Coast District, particularly the Cederberg and Matzikama municipalities.
Deiner added that, “There was a moderate impact on the Overberg and Garden Route districts, but considering that the previous storm had a severe impact on the Garden Route, the central Karoo experienced relatively lower impact."
Premier Alan Winde, providing an update on the multi-disciplinary coordinated response, stated that while the government is putting measures in place, including updated flood response plans, incorporating climate change experts, and constructing more resilient infrastructure, basic preparedness by the public remains critical.
Winde singled out the issue of blocked stormwater drains, noting: “It always astounds me how much rubbish and junk comes out of stormwater drains when they are blocked,”. He stressed shared responsibility, saying, “We all have a responsibility there. Everyone throwing a piece of paper that eventually ends up blocking a drain at the end of your street all adds up. The next thing, hundreds or thousands of people and their homes are underwater." Resolving the issue of informal settlements built below flood lines, he said, would be a long-term undertaking: “That is something that forms part of an overall long-term plan in making sure we move as many people out of those areas as quickly as possible."
MEC for Local Government Anton Bredell underscored that the province must continue to invest in infrastructure and systems capable of withstanding climate-related disasters. “First of all, we have recognised that climate change is real. Secondly, we have placed it at the centre of the province’s Growth for Jobs Strategy. Every single department must think about how to rebuild, and rebuild with climate change in mind,” he said. Bredell pointed to the Ashton Bridge as an example of successful, resilient infrastructure, stating: “It is well known because I have criticised the department before for building monuments, but it is still standing,”.1Bredell also noted that the province has escalated concerns around planning failures to the national MinMEC platform, where recurring flooding in the same communities would be discussed. “We have put the planning issue on the national MinMEC agenda, where the national minister will meet with all the MECs to discuss why the same areas flood, to have a serious conversation about people staying in riverbeds and people ignoring planning legislation,” Bredell said.1Gemini in Workspace can make mistakes. Learn more