With local residents dealing with the effects of recent inclement weather, The City of Cape Town says the worst affected areas as a result of heavy rainfall are informal settlements in Khayelitsha, Ottery, Langa, Strand, Philippi, Gugulethu, Delft, and Vryground. The severe weather is expected to last until Wednesday. Traffic Services are harnessing all of its available resources to mitigate the risks caused by the extensive rainfall over the past 24 hours.

“We appeal to motorists to be patient as we attempt to clear all the affected roads in the city. Motorists can assist us by reducing their speed, increasing their following distance and proceeding with caution,” stated Cape Town Traffic Services, Kevin Jacobs.

However, Cape Town has not been the only city affected by inclement weather. Two months ago, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) was hit with disastrous floods that has left more than 450 people deceased and more than 80 people unaccounted for.

Disaster teams, the police and members of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) are still in the province helping search and rescue teams. To date, 249 people have been rescued during their operations.

Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast show on Tuesday morning, Head of Reaction Unit South Africa, Prem Balram said mopping-up operations have begun amid continuous rainfall in KZN. According to Balram, the North and South coast has been affected the most.

“Construction has started on bridges and roads, but it is unfortunately a massive task. There are areas that have not had water in over a month, but Samaritans have stepped up and taken charge apart from humanitarian aid organizations and the state,” explained Balram.

Citizens who wish to donate in cash or kind to the cause can call Reaction Unit SA on 086 123 4333.

VOC