Western Cape storms – counting the cost

The deadly storms in the Western Cape have triggered a humanitarian emergency, as many parts of the province count the cost in the wake of the loss of life, displacement, and infrastructure damage. On Friday, the City of Cape Town confirmed that at least 50 municipal facilities had sustained damage, with security officials reporting structural impacts throughout the metro.

Officials stated that they will only know the full extent of the damage once they complete the assessments for claims; however, early estimates suggest about R25-million in damages. So far, the official death toll stands at ten – however, the toll on some residents is immeasurable.

In informal settlements across Cape Town, the storm left families battling chest-high water and sleepless nights as the rain refused to let up. The city reported that 67 informal settlements affected a total of 31 709 dwellings and approximately 103 350 people.

Humanitarian relief has reached around 40 000 individuals, with the public call for donations generating contributions, primarily in the form of clothing and blankets. The scale of the disaster has sparked demand for more assistance.

“Residents in our informal settlements are still in flooded homes and in dire need of help,” said Lower Crossroads activist Xolile Gibisela.

In Khayelitsha, community leaders described scenes of chaos as residents fought to save what little they had.

“Councillors and community activists from across Khayelitsha had to assist residents by opening trenches to let floodwater drain, helping those affected find alternative shelter, and mobilising resources for warm meals during the electricity outage across Khayelitsha,” said ANC councillor Phindile George.

Langa residents faced a similar ordeal, with both shacks and formal homes taking strain under the storm. “It’s a stark reminder of the living conditions in our townships. When disasters like this happen, people remain unprotected because their homes are shacks and informal structures,” said Langa Ward 51 councillor Lwazi Phakade.

The Garden Route was also hit hard. In Knysna, resident Nanette van Breda described fleeing her home as floodwaters swallowed her living room.

Mopping up of trees and debris is continuing across the Garden Route District Municipality region. “The municipality and teams are hard at work to fix and restore electricity lines. Officials are in constant communication with Eskom,” the municipality said in a statement on Friday.

In the Cape Winelands District Municipality, mopping-up operations continued across all municipal areas following widespread flooding, infrastructure damage, evacuations and disruption to essential services on Friday.

The humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has been on the ground since Cape Town and surrounding areas were battered in the early hours of Monday morning. “[Our] teams were inundated with urgent calls for assistance from concerned residents and community leaders reporting widespread flooding, destruction, and displacement in major informal settlements throughout the province,” it said.

Opposition parties have accused the provincial government of being underprepared for the deadly storms.

According to the EFF, the storm revealed “the complete collapse” of disaster preparedness and municipal planning under the DA-led coalition government, while Khalid Sayed, ANC leader of the opposition in the Western Cape Legislature, claimed that the province’s response was inadequate.

“Informal settlements and historically neglected communities remain flooded, waterlogged and unsafe. Poor and working-class residents are once again left to suffer the consequences of a government that prioritises privileged suburbs, tourism marketing and political public relations over the dignity and safety of black communities,” the EFF said.

“On Tuesday morning, I wrote to Premier Alan Winde, calling for urgent provincial intervention, coordinated disaster management, and immediate support for affected communities. Apart from acknowledging receipt, the premier has failed to provide a substantive response,” the ANC’s Sayed said.

Regan Thaw, spokesperson for the premier, said, “Our provincial disaster management centre will duly report to the standing committee on the response to these severe weather events. Our focus remains on saving lives, not responding to desperate, pathetic political grandstanding.”

Meanwhile, City of Cape Town disaster risk management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said that disaster teams are working with the South African Weather Service to pre-position resources and issue early warnings.

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