Cape Town - Heavy rains from a cold front that hit the Cape overnight caused flooded roads and informal settlements, with discomfort felt across the Peninsula.
In Klipfontein near the Mission Station and Crossroads, a couple’s shack was flooded from the kitchen area to the bedroom and they were knee-deep in water which they had to scoop out in buckets.
Samantha Dilgee, 44, and her partner Nazeema Petresen, 39, said they had been experiencing such conditions during the winter season for the past 10 years.
“Over the past 10 years, heavy rain had us sweeping water out of our shacks in fear that one day either we or one of our four kids might be fatally injured because water and electricity don’t mix.”
Another resident, Patricia van Rensburg, 69, said her shack was flooded from outside the doorstep. Inside, her clothing was stored in plastic bags and her furniture was elevated using either bricks or crates.
“I have been to the City of Cape Town’s offices multiple times each year to report my situation, but I never got the help that I want. I am tired of these politicians; my house does not even have electricity but there’s plenty of water inside.
“There’s elections coming soon and they are expecting us to vote, yet they don’t attend to our needs,” Van Rensburg said.
Elsies River resident Imraahn Mukaddam said while driving through 35th Street in the area, the street was heavily flooded.
“Driving through Bishop Lavis to the airport this morning, my trip was delayed. Normally that route takes me 15 minutes, but today it took me an hour.”
Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Sonica Lategan said disaster officials and other City departments were continuing with assessments and responses to the persistent rainfall.
“Localised flooding has been reported on numerous roads across the city, but no road closures. Most roadways have been cleared. Our depots are, however, still busy clearing roadways, unblocking drains and removing debris.
“Affected informal settlement areas are in Dunoon, Winnie Madikizela Mandela Informal Settlement in Delft, Kosovo C-Section in Philippi and TR Bongani, WB and D-Section in Site C, Khayelitsha,” Lategan said.
“Relief provided include engineering works and the provision of sand and milling based on assessments done. DRMC is also working with Sassa, the Department of Social Development and NGOs on providing soft relief to the most vulnerable areas,” Lategan said.
Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said they dispatched a team to provide hot meals and blankets to Gugulethu and some other areas.
Tomorrow they will head out to Delft, Khayelitsha and Masiphumelele.
Due to heavy rains and roads being flooded they could not reach residents from those areas yesterday.
siviwe.melapi@inl.co.za