9.8 C
Cape Town
Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Mopping up underway after heavy rains, as City ramps up winter readiness

Published on


Add Smile FM on Google

 

The City of Cape Town says clean-up operations are continuing across the metro after a series of cold fronts brought heavy rain and localised flooding over the weekend.

 

The Disaster Operations Centre has received further reports of residential flooding on Monday, including in Ocean View and Bellville South, while assessments have been done in at least 20 informal settlements across areas such as Philippi East, Dunoon and Khayelitsha.

 

Officials say teams have been deployed to assess damage and provide relief where needed. This includes activating humanitarian assistance and alerting the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Department of Social Development to support affected residents.

 

The City says it recorded around 480 flood-related complaints since Friday, with widespread impacts reported in both formal and informal areas, including Gugulethu, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga and Kraaifontein.

 

Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, says while much of the water has drained, some flooding persists in areas where illegal structures have been built over stormwater systems, making maintenance difficult.

 

He adds that the City’s drainage infrastructure is designed to cope over time and not to remove water instantly during heavy downpours, meaning temporary flooding is expected during intense rainfall.

 

Multiple departments remain on the ground, clearing blocked drains, managing flooded roads and assisting residents with emergency materials.

 

At the same time, the City is boosting its winter readiness plans, including increased stormwater maintenance, targeted infrastructure upgrades in flood-prone areas and improved early warning systems in partnership with the South African Weather Service.

 

Residents are urged to dispose of waste responsibly to prevent blockages and report flooding only once water has not drained after rainfall has subsided.

 

 

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

Latest articles

UK murder suspect, accused of killing own family, arrested in Johannesburg

 Police have arrested a Zimbabwean-born businessman, wanted in the UK over the murders of his family, in Johannesburg. The 45-year-old Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma was nabbed...

Local Pastor attacked by three assailants on Table Mountain

 A local Pastor has been identified as the victim of a stabbing attack while out for his early morning run on Table Mountain in...

Transnet blacklists seven companies implicated in corruption

 Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has announced that it has blacklisted seven companies implicated in serious unethical and unlawful conduct. This follows forensic investigations supported by...
error: Content is protected !!