Stuck in Sutherland, in the snow, in a blackout. That's the fate of the residents of SA's coldest town - and about 90 bikers.
|||Northern Cape - Stuck in Sutherland, in the snow, in a blackout.
That is the fate of the residents in the coldest town in South Africa – and about 90 bikers who went there for their annual joyride.
Heavy snow has cut off this Northern Cape town from the outside world since Saturday night.
“The Verlatenkloof Pass from Matjiesfontein is closed and the gravel road to Ceres you can’t go on. The electricity went off on Sunday and Eskom can’t get in to fix the electricity so we’ve got no power.
“There was no school this morning, and the snow is still falling. No one can get in and no one can get out. Luckily we’ve got a coal stove to keep us warm,” said local resident Mariana Bernado.
Between 80 and 90 bikers from the Scattered Links bike club are also stranded in the town. Snow began falling on Saturday at 5pm and has continued on and off ever since.
Club president Gerhard “Wurm” van den Bergh of Durbanville said on Monday they always went to Sutherland on the first Saturday in June. They travelled there in pelting rain on Saturday, checked into the hotel and guest houses and relaxed. Then the snow began.
“You should see it – it’s like Alaska. The snow is about 2m deep in places and the ice is about 10 to 15cm thick. The ice is the real problem. It’s under the snow and you can’t drive on it.
“Even 4x4 vehicles can’t get through and the police Casspir even got stuck. A Pep Store truck overturned on the road and the police tried to get there but the Casspir got stuck. The only way out or in is by chopper,” Van den Bergh said.
On Monday, the temperature was 2.2ºC and the minimum temperature was -0.3ºC on Sunday night.
“One of our 4x4 back-up vehicles got stuck. It couldn’t even turn around, it had to be pulled out. There is ice under the snow and the wheels just spin. And there’s no electricity in the town. But the hotel is being really good to us and giving us cut rates and feeding us spaghetti and soup. At least we’re not in tents.”
The locals who have coal and wood are keeping warm with fires, and using candles for lighting.
Denise du Plessis of Sutherland Hotel was not deterred by the big “snow-in”. “We’re working with candles and gas and we’re managing.”
Cape Times