Flood warning for Cape residents

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre late on Tuesday issued a flood warning for many parts of the province, including the Cape metropole.

In response, the City’s housing directorate urged residents in low-lying, flood-prone informal settlements to reduce the risk of flooding by raising the floor level of their homes.

Communities in flood-hit informal settlements were invited to contact the City’s call centre on 0860 103 089 to request sand to raise the floor of their dwellings to keep water out. If the roof of their home is leaking, residents can apply for flood kits from the City’s Informal Settlements Management team.

The City appealed to residents to help by:

* Clearing out drainage systems on their properties

* Moving to higher ground if they stay in a flood-prone area (for assistance with this they can contact the City’s Call Centre or the Informal Settlements Management team)

* Digging trenches around their homes to divert water away

* Reporting blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping

* Waterproofing roofs, clearing gutters and removing dead tree branches

“The City’s human settlements directorate is working closely with communities and other City departments to, as far as possible, ensure that the residents whose homes are vulnerable to flooding are cared for,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen.

The City advised that heavy rain, strong wind conditions in the interior and very cold weather can be expected over the next two days.

The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said the concern was that the weather would not only lead to flooding but mudslides and fires.

“Some of the other associated risks during bad weather like this also includes mudslides, and informal settlement fires as well as severe cold made worse by the possible electricity challenges due to potential load shedding,” he said

Bredell has urged motorists and pedestrians travelling in the province over the next few days, to take extra caution.

“Care should be taken when crossing low lying bridges, or streams and rivers as floodwaters may be on the way.”

Provincial as well as municipal disaster management centres remain fully operational with officials on standby 24/7. These centres can be activated immediately should it be required.

Bredell stressed that communities should contact and cooperate with local authorities and emergency response personnel in the event of any emergency. He said the easiest number to call was 112, adding: “This number can be dialled toll-free from any cellphone.”

In case of emergency other relevant numbers to call are:

* Cape Winelands: Langeberg Municipality 0860 88 1111

* Eden District: 044 805 5071

* Central Karoo: 023 414 2603

* West Coast: 022 433 8700

* Overberg: 028 271 8111

* City of Cape Town: 107 landline or 021 480 7700

The City also attached the following flooding related tip sheet:

How can I prepare for a flood?

* Identify the risk in your local area.

* Prepare a home emergency plan, and identify risks around your home.

* Remove leaves (from downpipes or gutters) or any other items that can increase the risk of flooding in your area.

* Have an evacuation plan. Everyone in your family has to know where to go to find shelter.

* Prepare an emergency toolkit. This should include a first aid kit, torch and portable radio with batteries, candles and waterproof matches, drinking water, a multi-tool, whistle and emergency contact numbers.

What should I do during a flooding?

* Monitor current flood warnings. Listen to the radio for emergency warnings, evacuation advice and weather updates.

* Avoid entering floodwater unless it is necessary, and never underestimate the strength of floodwater, even if you are inside a vehicle.

* Follow all instructions from emergency authorities.

* Turn off all electricity and water and take your cellphone with you.

* Assist elderly and disabled neighbours.

What should I do after the flood?

* Before entering your house, wait until the water has dropped below floor level.

* Check with electricity and water authorities to know whether it is safe for you to use these resources.

* Be aware of contamination if water sources have been flooded; this could be unsafe to drink.

Contact these additional emergency numbers:

* 112 (from a cellphone) and 10177 from a landline.

* Report floods, blocked drains and service disruption to 0860 103 089.

* City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre: 080 911 4357.

- ANA

Heavy rain, flash floods warning

Certain provinces could experience flash floods due to heavy rain over the next two days, Weather SA said on Monday.

“Heavy falls leading to flash flooding are possible in the Free State, North West province, and the Western Cape for today,” forecaster Madimetja Thema said.

Weather SA had also released a weather watch for potential flash floods in Gauteng for Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The heavy rain was expected to spread to the Eastern Cape on Tuesday, Thema said.

“It is expected to let up by Tuesday evening.” - Sapa

Lwandle eviction order ‘unconstitutional’

Cape Town - The court order that Sanral used to remove people and structures off its land is unconstitutional, the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel) said on Wednesday.

“This court order is actually, in accordance with general constitutional principles, unconstitutional and unenforceable,” said Nadel's Western Cape chairman Joey Moses.

“It could never serve as any legal basis to evict people from Lwandle and on the face of it, it does not authorise any such evictions.”

Moses was presenting to an inquiry investigating the removals off a SA National Roads Agency Limited road reserve in Lwandle, Cape Town, on June 2 and June 3.

He said the order obtained on January 24 was addressed to people intending to occupy the land, clearly excluding those who had already established their homes.

Where such an interim court order effectively served as an eviction order, certain eviction protections applied.

“If those eviction protections are not considered by a court of law before issuing a court order, that order falls to be set aside.”

The association made 10 recommendations to the inquiry on how land removals could be better dealt with in future.

One of these was to amend the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE) Act, to include a report from a probation officer before evictions took place.

This report would need to provide information such as the availability of suitable alternative accommodation, how the eviction would affect constitutional rights and measures that would be put in place to prevent further land invasions.

Another recommendation was to provide judges and magistrates with comprehensive training in respect of the PIE act and other land tenure regulations.

- Sapa

‘The worst flooding in 10 years’

Cape Town - A week of rain has ended, with the last of three storm fronts that swept across the Western Cape clearing up.

But in the aftermath of torrential rains and flooding, 5 000 people are still looking for relief after their homes were damaged by rising storm water in the townships.

The city’s director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, said around 1 500 dwellings were flooded early on Thursday after overnight rain.

Khayelitsha was worst hit. The township is built on the Kuils River flood plains which meant that low-lying areas were quickly submerged on Thursday morning.

In the township’s Site B, the RR section saw many homes waterlogged, the people inside stepping over large puddles pointing out furniture and appliances that had been damaged.

In Lavender Hill, residents of Overcome Heights called for mayor Patricia de Lille to visit their wet homes.

Cathy Lewis, 36, waded barefoot through ankle deep water inside her house.

“The water is so cold that my children have to sleep at my sister’s place.”

Plastic crockery floats underneath the sink and her bed is propped up on bricks and crates.

“It is painful. No one should live like this. I sleep under five blankets at night and in the morning have to walk through icy cold water.”

She said she was heartbroken, and had nowhere else to stay.

“You don’t feel like coming home to this. I can’t wash or cook here and all my clothes are wet.”

Francisco January, 46, has lived in the area for nine years. He sat on his bed above the water that covered the floor of his three-room home.

Music blared from a small radio; one light lit the dark room and crates served as a bridge to cross over the water.

January said he had been scooping water out of his home since 3am on Wednesday, but heavy rains on Thursday brought more flooding.

“It’s so cold that you feel you could freeze to death. This morning I got shocked from one of the electricity plugs.”

Karen Mentoor, a member of the Overcome Heights residents association, said people were living like animals.

“Not even dogs want to sleep this way. This is the worse flooding in the 10 years I’ve lived here. Fridges are wet, children can’t go to school because they are sick and their clothes are wet and we can get electric shocks and die.”

Residents have had enough.

“We need the mayor to come and look at how the people of Overcome Heights have to live.”

Other affected areas included Driftsands, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Mitchells Plain and the Strand.

While residents feared the storm would continue, Bosman said by on Thursday afternoon everything was clearing up. He was optimistic that the worst was over and a sunny weekend lay ahead.

Relief efforts have already begun. In Lavender Hill 400 blankets were handed out to displaced residents. The city has also provided residents in other areas with food, baby packs and flood kits.

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Misery for thousands in Cape Town

Cape Town - Hundreds of shacks were flooded and thousands of people displaced in townships as a storm hit Cape Town on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning.

With three cold fronts sweeping through the province, the city has been at the centre of the storm.

City Safety and Security director Richard Bosman said about 1 500 shacks had been flooded. The worst-hit area was Khayelitsha, where over 2 000 people were affected by the storm.

When a Cape Argus team visited the RR Section of the township’s Site B, it found many of the dirt roads were under water.

In the low-lying areas, the shacks were divided by a maze of mini rivers, which residents sloshed through in rubber boots.

Portia Franscois, 20, said on Thursday morning she was worried the water would not stop rising.

As rain pelted the township on Wednesday night, water had begun to trickle in through the gap underneath her door. By 6am, there was 10cm of water in the dwelling, turning the bed she shares with her mother and two children into an island.

She said the stormwater had made her 2-year-old child sick.

“He has a rash because the water is very dirty.”

Franscois is planning to stay with friends on the other side of the township until the floods subside.

Her neighbour Nombasa Mthusanto said her furniture had been damaged by the floods.

Relief efforts have started with the city and NGOs handing out baby and flood kits, Bosman said.

With the SA Weather Service warning heavy rainfall was set to persist today, there are fears flooding could, get worse, specially in Khayelitsha which is built on a floodplain.

Lavender Hill and Sir Lowry’s Pass were among the areas flooded today.

Bosman said about 5 000 people had been affected across the city.

However, the city said conditions were not severe enough to evacuate township residents.

This morning, there was minor flooding on roads in the southern suburbs but City Traffic Services spokesman Richard Coleman said there had been no reports of serious crashes.

Waves rose up to 6m on Wednesday and on Thursday morning, wreaking havoc at sea.

A teenage girl was admitted to hospital on Wednesday suffering from hypothermia and another with a leg injury, the National Sea Rescue Institute said.

“A 17-year-old female was transported to hospital suffering a leg injury and a 16-year-old female was transported to hospital suffering hypothermia,” spokesman Craig Lambinon said.

The girls were part of the Knysna sailing team taking part in the 2014 Lipton Cup Challenge in False Bay.

Lambinon said six boys from Bishops Diocesan College taking part in the challenge were rescued after their yacht was blown out to sea.

He said they had reported their mainsail had been damaged and wrapped around the forestay. The yacht had been towed into the harbour.

The storms are set to clear by Friday morning.

- Cape Argus

Clean-up after Cape storm

Cape Town - More than 30,000 people were affected as temperatures plummeted and heavy rain hit Cape Town at the weekend.

Disaster Risk Management spokesman Wilfred Solomons said 25,689 people had been helped on Saturday, and a further 6 400 people had been affected on Sunday.

On Saturday, 16 904 blankets, 25 326 meals and 945 baby packs were distributed in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Philippi, Gugulethu, Strand and Somerset West.

Gridlocked traffic and eight car crashes in just two hours, as well as more than 100 flooded roads, marked the start of the weekend.

The Weekend Argus reported that there was flooding in parts of the Civic Centre, where mayor Patricia de Lille has her offices.

Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Table Mountain Cableway were closed for safety reasons before the storm hit on Saturday.

Cold conditions are forecast to continue into this week, with maximum temperatures reaching 15°C.

Cape Town traffic services spokeswoman Maxine Jordaan said there had been 24 motor vehicle accidents since Friday, with one fatality.

The driver of a Toyota died at 7.15pm on Friday evening and three others were seriously injured when the car collided with a bus between Robert Sobukwe Road and Symphony Way in Bellville.

On Saturday, the Ghost Squad arrested a woman for reckless and negligent driving after she drove two cars off the N2 at a speed of 240km/h.

Meanwhile, residents in Kraaifontein, Delft and Philippi East mopped up the remaining water in their homes on Sunday.

With broom in hand, Khanyswa Sithelo swept water into two buckets before carrying them outside her dwelling in Tsunami, Delft.

She and her two children, Sbabaklo, 5, and Siposethu, 3, have the flu and had been to Karl Bremer Hospital for treatment.

“We have been sick for a month now. Every time it rains it is cold and damp,” Sithelo said, coughing and holding her chest tightly.

On a pathway some distance away, a group of young children played in a puddle of water.

A little girl picked up a dead mouse dropped it, and bent over to pick up some other objects.

A small stream of water and rubbish trickled down the pathway.

Celiwe Gontshi, 35, had managed to get the water out of her house, but it was still damp and cold inside.

“Children are dying because of this cold.

“On Friday,I was in Tygerberg Hospital because I had chest pains,” Gontshi said.

“This cold is making everyone ill.”

She added that while the water had been mopped up, once it rained the flooding started all over again.

In Wallacedene in Kraaifontein, Rachmat Petersen, 32, and her five-year-old daughter, Moeshfieka, sat on their bed with one duvet covering to share.

“We have nowhere else to go. When it rains everything gets soaked,” Petersen explained.

Water dripped from the ceiling, a couch next to the bed was damp and the floor was muddy.

“It is extremely cold. My child is sick every day,” she said.

“We start a fire to keep warm in the evenings.”

- Cape Argus

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

20 000 affected by Cape storms

Cape Town - Rainy weather conditions in Cape Town have affected more than 20 000 people and over 5 000 households, mayor Patricia de Lille said on Monday.

She said the city's disaster risk management (DRM) team had handed out 15 792 blankets, just over 20 000 meals, 177 baby packs and 712 flood kits.

A flood and storms planning task team had given residents practical tips on how to raise floor levels, divert flood waters and to reduce health hazards associated with stagnant water.

“Despite these measures, we know that many people are still affected by the flooding and DRM will continue working in affected areas to ensure that our assistance reaches the city’s most vulnerable residents,” De Lille said.

On Sunday Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said Khayelitsha was the worst affected area.

“Strong winds resulted in a storm surge since Saturday night that will extend until later today (Sunday) along Table Bay and Cape Agulhas.”

Structures on or near the coast were at risk.

Waves of six to nine metres and strong onshore winds could intensify the impact of the storm surge.

“When this happens, the rise of the water level above the high tide can reach areas that might otherwise have been safe.”

The National Sea Rescue Institute urged people to use extreme caution around the coast as cold fronts brought high swells and dangerous sea conditions along the coastline.

“Big sea swells brought in by a series of cold fronts together with the full moon spring tide has resulted in dangerous sea conditions around our coast, and extreme caution is advised, particularly to anglers fishing from shore, boaters, paddlers and bathers, and we urge the public not to venture along harbour walls where waves could sweep over.”

Weather conditions were expected to improve today, with only light showers in Cape Town.

Parts of Salamander Road in Hangberg caved in on Saturday.

“The roads are old here and the foundations are not stable. When we have a lot of rain then we see damage like this all around us,” resident Angelo Joseph, 37, said.

“There might be even more damage to come as we are still in the beginning of winter.”

Storms River Way in Manenberg lived up to its name on Sunday with most of the road flooded. In some parts the water was knee high.

Some residents could not step outdoors with water reaching front gardens and blocking driveways.

In Port Alfred, a 26-year-old man was rescued from a river cruise barge that was swept down the Kowie River by heavy winds yesterday.

NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said that the man, who had a job interview at a restaurant on the banks of the river, had tried to rescue the boat after it broke its moorings in the 40km/h wind.

The NSRI’s Port Alfred volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched a sea rescue craft to coral the unmanned runaway barge.

“But on our arrival on scene, to our surprise, we found Port Alfred resident Bongani Nkohle on the river cruise barge Sarah-Jane and he was being swept down river,” Lambinon said .

“It appears that Mr Nkohle was being interviewed for a job at Ocean Basket, on the banks of the Kowie River when he noticed the barge break loose from her moorings.”

“Mr Nkohle apparently told his interviewers that he had to rescue the boat, saying he could not sit by idly while a potential tragedy unfolded in front of him.

“Fully clothed, he leapt into the river and swam after the boat and on reaching it clambered aboard.

“But he was unable to do anything, so he simply drifted with the barge until NSRI Port Alfred arrived,” Lambinon said.

After helping to warm a shivering Nkohle, the team towed the barge back, dropping him off at the restaurant where he continued with his interview.

The barge was re-moored.

In Hermanus on Sunday, the NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew were called in after a man was swept off the rocks in front of the beach club, next to the new harbour.

”On arrival, an extensive search commenced for a 68-year-old Parow man missing in very rough sea conditions,” Lambinon said.

The man had reportedly been standing on the rocks with a 43-year-old friend from Mitchells Plain. They were taking photographs when both were swept into the surf, Lambinon said.

The Mitchells Plain man managed to get out of the water and confirmed that his elderly friend had disappeared beneath the surf.

Despite an extensive search no sign of the man has been found.

“Police will continue a search and have opened an investigation,” Lambinon said.

Meanwhile, a fire destroyed 16 shacks in Khayelitsha’s Site C on Saturday morning.

Residents say the fire was caused by a man who left burning candles unattended when he went to bed.

warren.fortune@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

The ‘horrendous’ reality of poor people

A top human rights official has described the “horrendous” reality of poor people who continue to live with no access to water, proper sanitation and decent living conditions as “degrading and unacceptable”.

Pregs Govender, deputy chairwoman of the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), said a Soweto woman who stripped naked in protest over bucket toilets in her hostel not being emptied for three months, used her body to make a “powerful statement”.

Nomathemba Hlongwane pulled her pants and underwear down and flashed her backside at passing motorists on a busy Chris Hani Road this week in a defiant protest action that saw her pictures go around the world.

Govender, who leads the commission’s work on water and sanitation, said: “Instead of just sitting quietly and being brutalised by her conditions, she (Hlongwane) did something quite powerful”.

She said her actions in the face of “daily humiliation and brutalisation has brought attention to a terrible problem”.

“She actually took her body and used it to make a very powerful statement to say ‘look at this, we might as well pour it (poo) in the freeway’,” she said. “People who don’t have water and sanitation are still the same people that didn’t under apartheid. This is not how people should live every day.”

She likened Hlongwane’s protest to the Crossroads protest in the 1980s near Cape Town, when women faced Casspirs and took their clothes off to stop them coming in and destroying their community.

“It’s an old tactic and in this instance she (Hlongwane) did get the attention of local and international media. People can’t just be judging her.”

Govender said the commission had been investigating a similar complaint to the Diepkloof hostel at the women’s hostel in Alexandra township in which “the conditions are absolutely dreadful”.

“The reality is that the government has committed to completely transforming the hostel system in our country and yet we have a situation where people today are still living in such conditions.

“The hostels have not been transformed to the extend that was promised; in fact in many of them the conditions are still as dreadful.”

These, she said, were the people for whom the promise of democracy was to change their lives to make sure that “we don’t have such unequal country”.

The commission has investigated several cases of human rights violations on the daily basis in communities denied basic necessities since 2010 from the open toilets in Makhaza near Cape Town to deadly water protests in Madibeng in the North West, where protesters were killed.

Govender said 20 years into democracy children shouldn’t be dying of water-borne disease. Nor should people get killed in a water protest in an area called Madibeng – a place of water.

If the government had a clear pro-active strategy that involved all in its spheres of governance “we wouldn’t be having the problems we’re having”. She said this year immediate action was taken after the death of four people in Mothutlung in Madibeng and what this showed was that it can be done.

“SANDF trucks came in and helped with water provision. It is possible to utilise the resources of our country to ensure that people have access to water and sanitation.

“The North West premier ensured the diversion of water from a mining company to the community. It is possible for all our government to co-operate and collaborate and it shouldn’t just take people dying to do so, or people protesting. It should be a pro-active response of government.”

According to figures on sanitation needs from the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, more than 324 000 households, mostly in informal areas have no access to services.

In Gauteng, there are more than 140 000 households without sanitation services and 58 306 of those are in Joburg’s informal areas.

Govender said the national average of the statistics looked quite good but when disaggregated to the poorest communities the situation went through the roof. She said while the Ministry of Human Settlements was committed to the eradication of bucket system, the commission found that the goal posts kept shifting.

- Pretoria News Weekend

Grim weather takes hold of Cape

Cape Town - Wading in ankle-deep water Albert Matwa unlocks the front door to his home in Site B, Khayelitsha.

Water seeps in underneath the door. Inside is his grocery cupboard, empty after its contents were ruined when the flooding began a week ago.

Heavy rains on Monday resulted in his home remaining flooded and uninhabitable.

“I removed my clothing cupboard and TV when it started flooding,” he says.

The 42-year-old petrol attendant will be spending the rest of the winter with a nearby friend.

Flooding is an annual certainty.

“I feel really bad because I’ve been living here nine years already and it happens all the time.

“I would like to move but don’t have the money.”

Several children dressed in tracksuits and wearing Wellington boots stick their heads through the doorway, curious about the damage.

Moments later they run off along a muddy path passing Zonke Miso, 22, who walks carefully between the structures trying to keep her shoes dry.

People posted pictures of hail on Twitter and complained about the cold weather after heavy rains and strong winds battered the Mother City on Monday.

Charlotte Powell, the city’s portfolio head of public awareness and preparedness, said several areas – including Khayelitsha Site B UT Gardens – WB Section and BM Section, were flooded. A total of 382 homes were flooded although there was no evacuation to emergency shelter.

Those living rough on the streets of Cape Town have been struggling to keep warm.

Alfred Franklin, 65, sleeps on cardboard boxes and lies curled up with a jersey and jacket as his only protection against the icy winter chill.

“I’ve been living on the streets for nine years,” he says. “If I don’t have R25 to go to a homeless shelter I end up sleeping on the streets.”

Another homeless man is huddled against his back.

SA Weather Service forecaster Thabisile Ntleko said a few showers were expected on Tues morning, but conditions were expected to clear later in the day.

“More clear skies are expected from Wednesday until Friday. And the cold front will be coming back on Saturday.”

Metrorail spokeswoman Riana Scott said the service remained on high alert on the southern line for high waves, sand on tracks and on the northern line for possible localised flooding.

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Housing nightmare in stark relief

THE brutal eviction of shack dwellers in Lwandle last week has highlighted the dire housing problem in Cape Town, a city that has experienced rapid population growth. Mayor Patricia de Lille has called again on the national government to speed up housing provision.

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), tackled the topic in her weekly newsletter on Monday.

A shack dwellers’ movement says housing is a ticking time bomb, and land invasions — and therefore evictions — will become the order of the day until the government comes up with a lasting solution.

Hundreds of families were evicted last week from land owned by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) in Lwandle, near Strand in the Western Cape. There were reports of petrol bombs and burning tyres as shack dwellers and the police clashed, and the eviction drew outrage as it took place in winter and left people out in the cold. The land was designated for the rerouting of the N2.

Vuyiswa Swentu, a community leader in the informal settlement, says most of the families evicted are from the Eastern Cape. "There are no jobs there so that is why we decided to come to Cape Town."

Most of the people rely on government grants and have struggled to find full-time employment, she says. "People cannot afford to pay rent as backyarders and we cannot wait to be allocated housing by the government. The only option is to build a shack on open land … families are desperate."

As evicted families counted their losses, a blame game erupted between Sanral, the DA-led City of Cape Town and Western Cape, and the national government.

Ms de Lille says national government needs to review the funding model and legislation to speed up housing provision. Given that the population of Cape Town has grown by 30% in the past 10 years, she has previously written to President Jacob Zuma requesting his intervention to release two sizeable pieces of land, Youngsfield and Wingfield, which are close to public transport, for public housing.

The city’s population has grown from 2.9-million in 2001 to 3.7-million in 2011. This includes tens of thousands of people arriving from other provinces in search of better opportunities. The housing shortage has led to the mushrooming of informal settlements on the outskirts of the city, some of which are built on privately owned land.

Ms de Lille says 276,000 people are on the city’s housing waiting list. "(National) government should be responsible for providing housing for people who earn less than R3,500 a month, and the private sector should provide assistance to those who earn more than that."

The government should build houses for rent, with an option to buy them later, she says. High-density developments would also help alleviate the housing crisis.

According to government data, the backlog of about 1.5-million houses in 1994 has risen to 2.1-million as SA’s population has grown by 13-million to 53-million.

It is not only poor communities that are affected by the housing crisis. Government statistics show 15% of SA’s 14.45-million households earn enough to qualify for a mortgage; the 60% who earn less than R3,500 qualify for state housing; and the remaining 25%, which includes nurses, police officers and teachers, qualify for neither.

In her newsletter yesterday, Ms Zille wrote that at a conservative estimate for the Western Cape alone, to provide the land, services and top structures for all those waiting to be accommodated would cost more than R70bn, almost double the province’s entire budget.

"Can we, as a society, sustain the expectation that the government must provide free housing for all who need it?" she asked.

The Centre for Constitutional Rights says the evictions were unconstitutional, and the Human Rights Commission is investigating why people were evicted without alternative accommodation being made available.

Shack dwellers movement Abahlali baseMjondolo has called it "strange" that these evictions are being given "so much attention".

"Evictions happen almost every day in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg … we have to ask, why now? One can only think it is politicking ahead of the local government elections," Abahlali president S’bu Zikode says.

Political analyst Prof Steven Friedman says homeless people usually do not have a voice.

Housing is likely to take centre stage ahead of the 2016 polls. "We saw something similar (in 2011) where the open-air toilets became a major issue. (The evictions) have put housing on the agenda."

- BDLive

‘We can’t stop the water from coming in’

Cape Town - They may be veterans of Western Cape winters, but the cold, rain and frequent flooding is something the Tununu family could do without.

Their two-roomed shack in Brown’s Farm in Philippi is full of reminders of valuables damaged in winters past.

They are among the thousands of families who are battening down the hatches this week as a severe cold front heads towards us.

The narrow pathways around the home of Thandi Tununu, 23, and her family are already under water from the weekend rain, prompting residents to don their wellies.

“When it rains a lot this is not a good place to be,” said Tununu, looking miserably around the home she shares with her mother, twin sister and her sister’s three young children.

“There is nothing we can do to stop the water from coming into our homes here. We do what we can to try and save our belongings from being damaged by the water, but at the end of the day it’s always too late.”

The beds have already been placed on top of crates in anticipation of water coming in. The wardrobe is rotting away from being exposed to damp conditions and is barely upright. In the kitchen, Tununu and her mother have attached steel covers to the bottom of kitchen cupboards to try to protect them.

When there is a heavy downpour, they will throw loose sand inside and around their shack to soak up excess water.

“This is all we can do. We have been staying here for 10 years and every winter we have to deal with this problem. Nothing can stop the water from coming in. We sleep with water around us. It is difficult because the water brings the cold with it.

“There is not even a protective covering on our roof to stop the water from seeping through because it is too expensive.

“Also, the water on the ground is not clean. It mixes with the sewage from the drains around us and it is causing the children around here to get sick.”

Tununu showed the Cape Argus some of her nephew’s ailments caused by exposure to toxic sludge. Three-year-old Emihle Tununu’s arms and legs are covered in sores. He was given creams at the clinic.

“We cannot live like this. The government needs to do something to stop the flooding permanently or provide us with houses. They give us food parcels and blankets when we are hit with storms. What does that do? The blankets won’t make the water go away and the food doesn’t last.”

Families across the city will also look for a variety of ways to keep warm this week, which has its own dangers attached to it. Four people, including two children, died in shack or backyard fires at the weekend.

The city’s Disaster Risk Management has called on residents to take care when using candles and paraffin stoves.

Meanwhile City of Cape Town departments have been hard at work to get their winter readiness programme organised in time to help prevent flooding.

There is a particular focus on poorer areas, often the most severely affected.

The Disaster Risk Management Centre will ensure that all rescue and disaster assistance agencies are on standby. They also have an early-warning system in place so that the city has as much time as possible to prevent disasters.

In the past month, residents have been given tips on how to raise floor levels, divert flood waters, and reduce the health hazards associated with stagnant water.

The Human Settlements Directorate also has plans to reduce the impact of the inevitable winter storms and flooding.

It is asking residents to contact the city’s call centre for sandbags to keep water out. Flood kits will be distributed where flooding has been severe.

Solid Waste Management is clearing stormwater drains to prevent blockages.

Social Development and Early Childhood Development will provide aid in the form of food, blankets and toiletries to those affected by winter weather around the city. The city’s field workers are also able to help people who need emergency accommodation, social work services, and rehabilitation services by directing them to one of the city-wide assessment centres.

The city can be reached at 0860 103 089.

For all life- or property-threatening emergencies, call 107 from a landline, or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.

Disaster Risk Management says people can donate food or blankets at their nearest fire stations.

Spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said there were 30 fire stations in the city.

People can also call the Disaster Risk Management centre on 0809 114 357.

Food or blankets can also be donated to:

* The Haven night shelter for homeless people in Claremont, Green Point, Woodstock and Retreat can be contacted on 021 425 4700.

* The Ark night shelter in Somerset West on 021 855 2329 or U-turn, an organisation assisting homeless people, on 021 674 6119.

warren.fortune@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Poor at mercy of cold, wet weather

Khayelitshas QQ Section experienced heavy flooding last year.
Picture: Adrian de Kock

Independent Newspapers

Cape Town - As Cape Town’s poorest residents mopped up after the cold, wet weather and braced for more, the city’s disaster management teams have been put on high alert.

Some people living in informal settlements say there is little they could have done to prepare for the heavy rain and strong winds that started battering the province on Thursday and which are expected to continue into next week.

“When it rains, even if it’s a little rain, we have to go and ask for a place to stay at family or neighbours whose houses don’t get affected as badly,” said Funeka Mkwanabi of QQ Section in Khayelitsha.

Mkwanabi said they appreciated the little help they received from the city, which was mainly from councillor Monde Nqulwana.

“I have been here since 1993, but last year was the worst winter… we always say we won’t vote and make those kinds of threats but when the time comes we vote because we like to believe the people we vote for will be able to do something.”

Nqulwana said he hadn’t received any calls from residents needing help after the heavy rain.

Sakhumzi Macekiswana, from Siqalo, said he had to move his shack to another part of the informal settlement after heavy rains last year. He had sent his four children back to the Eastern Cape in March, ahead of the cold weather.

“I had a shop but the rain was so bad last year I had to move to another part of Siqalo. I have been here since 2012 and it is always the same this time of year. I know it will be bad and that’s why I sent my children back home.”

Macekiswana said people tried to raise their shacks off the ground using sand and rubble from construction sites and put plastic sheeting on their roofs.

“With the wind, the plastic doesn’t stay on long but we have to try what we can… the water is the biggest problem we have here. The city doesn’t help us because they say we are on private land.”

There were large pools of water in Siqalo yesterday, where residents were offloading sand and rubble to try to lift their homes above the water. Children sailed across the pools on chunks of polystyrene.

This week, the city launched a “comprehensive” plan to help people living in low-lying areas.

Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said the city had put “some very good systems in place to try and counteract the forces of nature.

“But, of course, our job is made that much harder by illegal dumping… clogged stormwater systems are one of the biggest challenges we face every year because they are treated as waste receptacles.”

Smith said the city had been working with people living in low-lying areas to raise awareness about flooding.

“We have been working on cleaning stormwater gullies and working with people and showing them how to raise their structures and making sure sandbags are available. We have ensured early warning systems are in place for us to be able to respond promptly.”

In addition, emergency shelters had been identified to accommodate residents in the event of flooding.

“For a long time we were limping around with short-term solutions and this is our long-term solution…”

The SA Weather Service predicted rain until Tuesday, with temperatures in the high teens and low twenties.

- To report flooding, blocked drains or service disruptions, contact the city’s call centre at 0860 103 089.

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

- Saturday Argus

Cape weather IS wettest for years

Cape Town - Capetonians are talking of little other than how this winter is the wettest they can remember – and they’re probably right, considering that the Cape Town Weather Office says most parts of the Western Cape recorded almost double the usual amount of rain last month.

This year, Strand, which has a rainfall average of 101.9mm in August, showed the highest increase in rainfall – with a record 235.2mm recorded last month.

The rainfall in Khayelitsha, Philippi, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Ottery, Delft and Kuils River last month was 168mm – the second highest for the month after the 169.7mm recorded in August 2004. This was compared to an average for those areas of 85.3mm.

Rainfall in the Green Point and V&A Waterfront area nearly doubled, jumping from 76.6mm in August last year to 151.2mm this year. Chapman’s Peak also had its highest August rainfall since 2000, at 171.6mm.

Weather office spokeswoman Gail Linnow said: “Most places in the Western Cape recorded almost double the amount of rain for the month of August 2013, compared to the average for the area.”

In most areas in and around Cape Town, last month saw either the highest or second highest rainfall since 2000.

The highest recorded August rainfall for the Cape Flats was 160.7mm in 2004, 195.5mm for Observatory, also in 2004, and 224.4mm in 2001 for Gardens.

Observatory had 188.8mm of rain last month – more than double its rainfall for the same month last year. Gardens had just over 200mm of rainfall last month, not far short of its 2001 high.

Rainfall in the Septembers since 2000 has been significantly lower than that of August, with the wettest September for most areas being in 2008. But this September is not over.

So far this month, the wettest area in Cape Town has been Gardens, with 34.4mm of rain.

Dam levels have also increased over the years as a result of heavier rains.

Five of the city’s six major dams, and five of the seven minor dams, were over capacity last week for the first time since 2009.

For the years 2009 and 2013, the only major dam with water levels below capacity during the week of September 9 to 15 was Wemmershoek dam, near Franschhoek and Paarl.

The province’s biggest dam, Theewaterskloof Dam, near Villiersdorp, had the highest water levels, with a recording of 104.9 percent – which is also the highest recorded water level for the week of September 9 to 15 between 2009 and 2013.

The last time Theewaterskloof Dam, which has a capacity of 480 188 megalitres, was over-capacity was in 2009, with water levels recorded as 102.8 percent.

Voëlvlei Dam, near Gouda, which has had water levels within or just under capacity since 2009, was 1.8 percent over capacity last week.

The province’s third largest dam, the Berg River Dam, reached its highest water levels – 102 percent storage – for last week between 2009 and 2013.

Of the province’s minor dams, Kleinplaats had the highest water levels for the week with 102.5 percent storage – the first time the dam has been over capacity.

Alexandra and Lewis Gay dams, the province’s smallest and third smallest, respectively, are the only dams to have not gone over capacity for the week September 9 to 15 in the years between 2009 and 2013.

sibongakonke.mama@inl.co.za

- Weekend Argus

Cape Town braces for big chill

Cape Town - Heavy rain and snowfall is expected in Cape Town this week, the city said on Wednesday.

“Freezing conditions are expected on Friday morning, with predictions of minus three degrees Celsius... and possible snowfalls on Table Mountain,” said spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

“Heavy rainfall is likely over the Cape metro, Overberg, southern parts of the Cape Winelands, and the west coast districts on Thursday evening and Friday.”

A flash-flood warning was issued in some parts of the province, along with a fire warning for the Karoo.

“The city has accordingly upgraded the preparedness level of its disaster response teams in advance of the heavy rainfall predicted and the likelihood of localised urban flooding in Cape Town.”

Solomons-Johannes urged travellers and residents to take precautions and be wary of landslides and rockfalls.

“Those travelling in mountainous areas across the Western Cape are advised to expect delays and possible deviations as mountain passes may be closed to traffic.

“Members of the public should not hike along the mountainous areas as they may find themselves in distress.”

- Sapa

Cape spends R16m on flood relief

The City of Cape Town has spent nearly R16 million since August to help people affected by storms and floods, it said on Monday.

“Since August, 204 206 residents have been affected by flooding caused by the severe weather,” city spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said in a statement.

“The number of flood victims who have been helped by the city since August is nearing 160 000.”

He said more people were helped during bad weather conditions at the weekend.

“The city provided flood relief to more than 400 residents over the weekend, restored electricity connections, and cleared roads affected by the inclement weather.”

He said 60 houses were affected by floods in the low-lying area of Khayelitsha. Hot meals and blankets were provided to the displaced.

The Lotus Park informal settlement was waterlogged and the city provided sand to the area, Solomons-Johannes said. - Sapa

Gale force winds, rain headed for the Cape

Cape Town - The city has warned residents to expect adverse weather, including gale force winds, for the next few days.

Cape Town’s Disaster Management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said rough seas and north-westerly winds of up to 65km/h were forecast.

“The extended period of precipitation will exacerbate the discomfort levels and flood-risk situation on the Cape Flats as the water table will increase significantly,” he said on Sunday night.

The weather service issued a severe weather alert on Sunday of high seas with waves exceeding 6m between Table Bay and Plettenberg Bay. This would subside overnight.

According to the city, 158 880 residents and 39 505 household structures had been negatively affected by storms last month and this.

It had spent nearly R16 million providing help to people during the winter months. Sunday’s high winds and heavy rain in Cape Town caused further flooding.

Sonja Jordaan who lives in an informal settlement in Schaapkraal said her children were sick and she could not remember a winter as bad as this one.

Her shack was wet and her clothes never dried. “We can’t even light a fire because everything is wet.

“Children can’t live like this,” she said.

“The water is contaminated.

“We can’t take our children to school… how can they walk through it?”

Solomons-Johannes said: “It is private property and has nothing to do with the city.”

matthew.hirsch@inl.co.za

- Cadet News Agency

‘City can’t be blamed for Philippi floods’ - they can actually...

Cape Town - Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille has rubbished claims by the Schaapkraal Civic and Environmental Association that the City of Cape Town is guilty of “gross neglect” in its poor response to flooding in the Philippi area.

She said the association’s secretary, Nazeer Sonday, was “clearly speaking for the ANC” on the issue of the Philippi Horticultural Area’s production value.

The city controversially approved an application to move the urban edge to allow for a private housing development on the land.

“The whole of the city, not just the horticultural area, experienced the worst floods in many years,” said De Lille. “The City of Cape Town always pro-actively prepares for the winter rains through our comprehensive winter readiness programme.”

But Sonday said: “Our farmlands are under water. Our homes are under water. The lack of proper infrastructure is causing flooding. Our roads look like rivers. Our businesses are suffering.”

The roads in the Schaapkraal Smallholding area, Highlands Estate and Knole Park Estate became rivers in winter, he said.

A 2009 report detailing the area’s flooding problems was submitted to the council.

“We called for the city to put down rural open concrete channels in our roads and improve drainage by improving our rural open sloot system,” it read.

Despite numerous meetings, there had been no investment in managing the problem.

A second study in 2012 contained recommendations that would have improved service delivery and helped address crime and illegal dumping in the area. But Sonday said this study was also shelved.

“Does the mayor deliberately want to destroy the breadbasket of Cape Town?” he asked.

Sonday and the civic association had challenged the city’s approval of the proposal to develop a portion of the horticultural area, saying it produces 50 percent of the vegetables consumed in the city.

But De Lille said this was a misrepresentation, since the area produced only 80 000 tons of the 333 000 tons of leafy vegetables the city needed.

“Sonday fails to mention that this produce is mostly sold to high-end retailers and is exported. The area is not, therefore, as he claims, the breadbasket of the poor,” she said.

De Lille said Sonday could not speak for the whole horticultural area, as there were farmers and land-owners who had indicated they wanted to sell their land. She said he should rather direct his concerns to the ANC ward councillor “who had dismally failed the community” if he had any service delivery queries.

- Cape Argus

Cape Town set for mop-up after floods

Cape Town - Persistent rains across the Western Cape over the weekend meant relief teams had to put mopping up operations on hold.

The City of Cape Town said the coming week’s minimal rain forecast would be an opportune time to tackle the aftermath of last week’s storm.

Disaster risk management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said there were still bodies of stagnant water dotted around Cape Town.

He said that while rain was forecast for Tuesday, it would be minimal and largely isolated to the coastal regions.

On Friday, the city reported that almost 16 000 people had been affected by flooding. While the city continues to supply affected residents with blankets and hot meals, the Community Chest is also joining the relief efforts.

The organisation said it had prepared 1 000 emergency packs, containing blankets and non-perishable foods, to be distributed among needy residents on the Cape Flats.

In addition to the emergency packs, the Community Chest’s relief teams will also distribute Wellington boots and raincoats.

It is the second time the non-profit organisation has been involved in relief efforts in the past two weeks. It previously distributing more than 1 000 blankets, 1 400 items of winter clothing, 300 food parcels and 520 hygiene packs to families in Klipheuwel, north of Durbanville, when the informal settlement was flooded after a river burst its banks.

At Mikpunt, north of Klipheuwel, residents said they had been trapped indoors over the weekend due to the heavy rains.

The community of about 400 said the Mosselbank River had flooded and when the city’s Disaster Risk Management officials came they had to turn back because they could not get through.

Resident Mike Gregan said the city should raise the height of the existing bridge over the river. “Why on Earth are we paying rates if we are going to be trapped indoors like this?” he said.

Gregan said a friend had lost his bakkie in the river after he had returned home late from work and had misjudged the level of the river.

“We had to get a crane truck and tractor to get that bakkie out. This is very dangerous and can happen to anyone,” said Gregan.

He said residents had spent Friday and Saturday trapped in their homes and could only come out yesterday.

Pupils were also unable to go to school because Klipheuwel Primary had been closed due to the floods.

“No one could cross that river, it was a nightmare,’ said the frustrated resident.

- Cape Argus

CAPE TOWN - Cape Town authorities are running relief centres in the rainy city where thousands of people have been affected by the weather.

The heavy downpour is exacerbated by cold and wet conditions... there is another low [pressure] frontal system expected to pass through tomorrow (Saturday).

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"The bad and adverse weather that has hit the Western Cape has left more than 10,000 people in discomfort," the city's disaster and risk management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said on Friday.

The heavy rain and cold temperatures were predicted to continue into the weekend.

"The heavy downpour is exacerbated by cold and wet conditions... there is another low [pressure] frontal system expected to pass through tomorrow [Saturday]."

Solomons-Johannes said areas hardest hit by the adverse conditions were Philippi, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Lwandle, and Somerset West.

"The Cape Flats area is the most affected. We have been running a relief centre, handing out blankets and food."

On Wednesday, a cold front set in, bringing very cold and wet conditions accompanied by gale-force north-westerly winds between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas.

Solomons-Johannes said rivers were expected to burst their banks because of the downpour and urged residents in close proximity to be cautious.

-Sapa eNCA