Cape Town - A slight reprieve in weather conditions made it possible to reach those in desperate need of humanitarian assistance as a result of flooding across the Western Cape, before the next cold front expected yesterday evening.
The Western Cape Government, community-based organisations and NGOs have been on the ground trying to reach residents hardest-hit by the storms, necessitating evacuations in certain areas.
On Saturday, the Department of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning announced that the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Centre had launched a large-scale relief operation in the West Coast District with assistance from the SA Air Force, Gift of the Givers Foundation (GOTG), West Coast District Disaster Management, Search & Rescue Services, Saps and the Provincial Traffic Department.
MEC Anton Bredell said: “We have deployed three helicopters to Citrusdal together with specialised four-wheel drive vehicles and one command-and-control aircraft. Gift of the Givers has provided disaster relief materials such as food, water, blankets and other necessities.
“The team will also respond to other requests for assistance during the operational period.”
Spokesperson for Bredell, Wouter Kriel, said the focus at the moment was on the West Coast District.
“Until Saturday, there were still some small settlements and farming communities that were completely cut off. We couldn’t reach them. Bridges were flooded, the weather was too bad, we couldn’t fly. But since Saturday afternoon, we were given a bit of a weather reprieve, so all the focus is then to get humanitarian aid into areas where it’s needed.
“In the city, there’s also mopping up continuing. A lot of flooding (is) in the informal settlement that was reported over the past few days. So everyone is using this break in the weather to try to reach as many people as possible and to distribute aid where it’s needed.”
Kriel said it was too early to provide information related to damages, as they awaited water levels to fall.
In Rawsonville, more than 1 000 people were displaced and accommodated in the town hall. In Citrusdal, Riverview residents were provided with emergency accommodation at the Orangeville Town Hall.
“We are also taking cognisance of the fact that there is another cold front coming in. It’s due to make landfall later this evening (Sunday) through Monday. The heaviest rain is predicted for the Cape Winelands area and parts of the Overberg, so hopefully the front will spare the West Coast area and we will then focus our resources back towards this side,” Kriel said.
The flooding resulted in two known fatalities. In the Buffelsjagsriver, in the Overberg, one person was swept away while trying to cross the river and another fatality was reported in Vredendal.
Yesterday, humanitarian relief was focused on small, isolated communities in the Cederberg Mountains.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre said new flooding reports via the Disaster Operations Centre in the Philippi area included a graveyard and the Kampies informal settlement.
Spokesperson Charlotte Powell said a mudslide in Hangberg, Hout Bay affected two privately-owned properties and was attended to by the City’s Roads and Infrastructure Management Service.
GOTG project manager, Ali Sablay said teams had been deployed to nearly every informal settlement in the Western Cape.
Sablay said 340 structures at an informal settlement were destroyed in Rawsonville when the river banks burst.
On Sunday, the SA Weather Service issued an Orange Level 5 warning for wind and waves over the Northern and Western Cape.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za