Cape Town’s low-lying areas have been hit by the recent rain - and residents are mopping up their drenched homes daily.
|||Cape Town - Residents in low-lying areas across Cape Town are feeling the brunt of the rain this week and have been mopping up their rain-drenched homes daily.
More than 1 300 people have been affected in Endlovini in Khayelitsha since the weekend and residents in Europe in Gugulethu have puddles in their shacks.
The informal settlement is in a low-lying area.
Resident Chippa Themba said he would spend most of the week indoors, trying to keep his house dry.
“Even when it rains just once a day there will be a lot of water inside the houses,” he said.
Furniture would be damaged and there was no way people could adequately prepare themselves for rainy days.
“The people just try to fix their roofs, that is the only thing we can do. There is not even sand in the area that we can put at the doors so the water doesn’t come in that much.”
Themba said they received some assistance from the city, but the last time they were given any blankets was last year.
“Our children are also sick. Some people have carpets and those take longer to dry and their children stay sicker for longer. There is nothing we can do. We just have to wait until it is summer again.”
Last year, Cape Town experienced its coldest winter in decades. The average temperature in June and July was 12.4ºC.
Rain has been forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is expected to be a touch warmer, with no rain forecast.
The City of Cape Town said planning for this winter started last year.
“It followed a structured approach and included lessons learnt in dealing with challenges last winter.
“Mitigation measures are in place to prepare for any potential storm damage.
“The city is geared to deal with any major emergency events.”
Cape Argus