The City’s  Roads Infrastructure Management department is fielding numerous flood related queries with mudslide reports in Kommetjie’s Main Road and Cosair Way in Sun Valley. The embankment on the N1 near Jip De Jager has also collapsed and the provincial government, together with the City’s Law Enforcement, are attending to this. 

Flooding assessments are under way in areas such as Philippi. There have also been cases of blocked drains which have increased the risk of flooding in areas like Khayelitsha. Blocked drains directly affect homes which necessitates a reminder that illegal dumping is not a victimless crime.

‘Dumped builders rubble, plastic packaging, animal carcasses etc. may disappear from sight, but they do not disappear, they have not been ‘disposed of’. This was certainly the case in Cravenby where we had to extract volumes of plastic out of blocked storm water infrastructure which had caused road flooding, and in Khayelitsha where there was all manner of solid waste dumped directly into the system. Illegal dumping into infrastructure causes flooding, and causes untold misery in communities who have to wade through knee-high contaminated water. Flooding has both economic and social ramifications. Water logged roads caused by blocked storm water outlets experience damage to road infrastructure such as potholes and abraded road surfaces which in the future will require substantial public funds to repair and which could otherwise be allocated to other essential services,’ added Councillor Quintas.

Do the right thing by reporting blocked stormwater infrastructure, illegal dumping and potholes:

• Use the City of Cape Town app

• Phone the City’s customer call centre on 0860 103 089

• Or, log a service request on www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests 

Together, we can keep our city safe and resilient this winter.

High resolution photographs are available here.

*Note to broadcasters – audio is available here.