Early estimates have put the cost of the damage as a result of the storm that lashed the Western Cape at about R1.4 billion, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture.
The director of sustainable resource use and management, Ashia Petersen, on Wednesday said that preliminary reports indicate infrastructure damage, crop losses and soil losses in the Cape Winelands areas stand at R250 million, R150m and R400m respectively. In the Garden Route, it amounted to R7m, R25m and R50m, and in the Overberg R130m, R30m and R360m.
Final assessments would start as soon as the water had subsided and a final report should be available by the end of October, Petersen said.
Anton Bredell, the MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, said municipalities had been asked to compile damage assessments for the provincial government to present a disaster declaration motivation to the National Disaster Management Centre.
“I have also written to the president requesting assistance with humanitarian aid.
More than 3 200 people are receiving food from aid agencies being co-ordinated by Sassa.
“Overstrand rescue operations are ongoing. Fortunately, road access to these areas is being restored, which is assisting our work greatly,” he said.
Engineers had visited the N2 section that washed away at Bot River, and there are discussions with the SANDF to provide a temporary solution with a mobile bridge for the short term, Bredell said.
“Water tankers from other municipalities are being sent to Overstrand.
In the Breede River Municipality several farms are still inaccessible due to roads being washed away, and plans are being made to provide the affected people with food and other essentials.”
Bredell said Eskom also reported that major faults were being restored, and power in affected areas in Khayelitsha and Caledon should have been restored by last night.
In the City of Cape Town, 3 986 structures and 4449 people were confirmed in need of assistance.
More than 30 areas still needed to be formally assessed.
Education MEC David Maynier said 249 schools had been affected by the storms, with 21 closed on Wednesday as a result of access roads to them being blocked.
Cape Times