Cape Town - Community leaders and residents from local communities across the metro have slammed the City for seemingly failing to initiate holistic emergency interventions after hundreds of residents lost their homes to localised flooding.
This despite the City’s announcement that it pinpointed areas in need of assistance following Monday and Tuesday’s heavy rainfall.
The City said Disaster Risk Management (DRM) officials had completed assessments in many Informal settlements, among them Nomzamo, Monwood, Kosovo Philippi, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Masiphumelele, Gugulethu and Mfuleni.
DRM spokesperson Charlotte Powell said DRM teams made assessments in about 100 informal settlements.
These include settlements in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Delft, Gugulethu, Masiphumulele, Philippi and Langa.
She said the DRM was liaising with the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), the Department of Social Development and NGO partners to assist with soft relief.
But some residents said it simply meant they wouldn’t receive any support at all.
The City said it would need more time to respond to all the complaints received from communities.
New Village Strand residents say they have not seen any form of intervention take place in their areas despite reporting the severe damage by the floods.
Community leader Ayanda Ndungwane said: “We have been waiting for our councillor or the City to come and assist us, but nothing has happened so far.
“Our homes are still flooded as they have been since Monday.
“We were promised to be moved from this area a long time ago, we have no electricity, no proper ablution services or water.”
In Khayelitsha, Town-two residents say the only assistance they have received from the City was offers for temporary alternative accommodation and transport to move their soaked belongings to family and friends.
Community leader Nomzamo Kuzwayo-Luboya said: “Residents are angry and frustrated, they were expecting the municipality to take a holistic approach to assist them, but all we have been hearing is excuses.
“What’s worse is that there was never a winter readiness programme initiated in this area.”
Commenting on the province’s winter readiness programme, spokesperson for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Department Wouter Kriel said the City had been responding to the flooding incidents fairly well.
Kriel said the department could only step in to assist once the local municipality indicated that it needed support.
“Our role as the province is to co-ordinate efforts between local municipalities to support residents.
“Ultimately the municipalities like the City are responsible for initiating winter readiness programmes and responding to emergencies thereof.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Mobility says it is still attending to the road damage along Spine Road close to the N2 off-ramp.
Mobility spokesperson Jandré Bakker said the route was the only one that was still closed, and it would require significant work before it could be reopened.
“We are currently busy planning the repairs, and the timeline will only be known once the water has subsided and the engineering plan is completed.
“Therefore, at this time, it is unknown how long the repairs/rebuild of the affected section will take,” Bakker said.