Cape Town - Various municipal municipal departments are continuing with mopping-up operations across the city, following last week’s heavy rains which affected several formal and informal communities.
Despite heavy criticism over its alleged slow response last week, the City’s disaster risk management centre, which has been leading the mopping-up operations, said so far it had successfully assisted several communities across Cape Town by clearing roadways, unblocking drains and removing debris.
Over the weekend, as the city experienced more rain, disaster risk management staff said the rain caused no further damage to the flooded areas, except for reports of roads flooded in Newlands and Wynberg.
To assist affected communities left destitute by the heavy rains, the centre partnered with civil society organisations to respond with humanitarian aid to some of the worst-hit informal settlements.
Disaster risk management centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell said: “The City’s NGO partners, Gift of the Givers and Mustadafin are providing humanitarian assistance. Shoprite/ Checkers’s soup trucks were also mobilised to assist with feeding people in Khayelitsha.”
Powell said they are also appealing to the public to donate non-perishable items, disposable nappies, baby food, blankets and sanitary items to help flood victims.
The following drop-off points were identified for donations for persons affected by the floods:
- The Mustadafin Foundation (082 300 6535) at 154 Loerie Road, Bridgetown.
- SA Red Cross Society (060 903 7473) at 21 Broad Road, Wynberg.
- The Warehouse (081 259 5129) at 92 Capricorn Boulevard North, Capricorn Business Park, Muizenberg.
- Bay Community Church, and the Islamic Relief (083 554 5192) at 396 Imam Haroon Ave in Lansdowne.
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said they distributed nearly 5000 blankets and fed more than 10 000 people over the past week.
“The most seriously affected area was Langa, where our teams were deployed for four days, as many of the residents were being housed in churches and community halls,” Sablay said.
Gift of the Givers was also activated to assist communities in Bishop Lavis, Ravensmead, Masiphumelele, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Mitchells Plain, and Chatsworth outside of Cape Town, Nomzamo and Lwandle in Strand.
“We were well prepared, as we know during this time of the year, we experience such incidents due to localised flooding, following heavy rains. We are busy preparing for another cold front that’s on the way,” Sablay said.