Cape Town schools closed, 15 000 people affected by severe weather

The Western Cape Government (WCG) continues to provide shelter, food, and blankets to the homeless as the province faces heavy downpours, resulting in the closure of many schools.

The province announced that schools in the Cape Town metro districts, Cape Winelands and Overberg districts as well as parts of the West Coast district have closed today.

“In the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Risk Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), a decision has been taken to close schools in certain districts in the Western Cape [on Thursday],” Western Cape MEC for Education, David Maynier, said on Wednesday.

According to the MEC, all other schools in the remaining districts will be open unless approval has been granted for closure.

“Our default position is always to keep schools open but are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place and the damage already caused in certain areas.

“So far, 20 schools have been granted permission for closure across the province, the majority of which are in the Cape Winelands district,” the MEC explained.

Over the past few days, 137 schools have reported some form of damage to infrastructure, either because of flooding or heavy winds. Most of the cases are minor, while 49 cases require urgent attention.

Level 8 warning

Meanwhile, a Level 8 warning has been issued by the SAWS for disruptive rain.

This warning remains in place for heavy rain, flooding, and mudslides, particularly in the Cape Town metro, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch regions.

The province is also expecting strong winds to persist over the interior regions and along the coastal areas of Saldanha Bay and Cape Agulhas over the next few days.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, the PDMC and other stakeholders are monitoring the series of cold fronts very closely.

“Virtually all WCG departments are working together to mitigate the possible impact of this weather system.

“All stakeholders will remain vigilant, and I urge members of the public to also do so. Disaster management teams are working tirelessly to keep members of the public out of harm’s way. For this, we are very thankful.”

The WCG said they have been working closely with all affected municipalities, national departments, as well as non-government organisations (NGOs), who have been working tirelessly to safeguard lives and assist residents in need during the current floods.

Chief Director of Disaster Management, Colin Deiner, explained that over the next several days the centre will continue to monitor the situation closely.

He stressed that a critical aspect of the overall response is to ensure all disaster officials and organisations are adequately resourced to keep up the good work they have been doing.

Humanitarian support

Meanwhile, about 4 000 structures have sustained damage across Cape Town, impacting 15 000 people.

“With the help of NGOs, 11 000 hot meals are being provided each day across Cape Town metro to people affected by the weather.”

The Western Cape Department of Social Development is coordinating humanitarian relief efforts for affected communities with partner NGOs like Gift of the Givers Foundation, The Warehouse Foundation, Ashraful Aid, Al-Imdaad Foundation, Islamic Relief SA, and the Community Chest of the Western Cape.

In addition, many rivers are reaching full saturation levels and run-off could increase exponentially. This is being closely monitored by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Dams

Many of the province’s dams are also rising rapidly, with Clanwilliam Dam currently sitting at 90.89%, Berg River Dam increased to 104.06%, the Theewaterskloof Dam at 76%, while Misverstand Dam has risen to 161%.

“A controlled release of water from Wemmershoek Dam into the Berg River was carried out as a precautionary measure. This controlled release is necessary to reduce the risk of flooding downstream.”

Electricity

According to the provincial government, electricity faults are being reduced. However, 11 000 people are still without Eskom power in numerous areas, including Citrusdal, De Doorns and Touwsrivier.

In Delft, around 1 500 Eskom customers are without electricity.

“The power utility is working hard to restore power.”