/ 1 January 2002

Storm flattens Cape shacks

Cape Town’s disaster management services were hard at work on Monday mopping up after gale force winds and heavy rain lashed the Cape Peninsula at the weekend.

The strong winds uprooted trees in Newlands, Rondebosch, Tokai, Bishopscourt and Claremont while many roads were flooded by the heavy rains. Some areas experienced power cuts.

Cape Town disaster management representative Johan Minnie said on Monday at least 800 people in Cape Town’s townships were affected by the heavy rains which flooded about 200 homes.

He said many of those affected were being housed in community halls where hot meals were being provided. Blankets had also been given to the destitute.

Minnie said roofs of houses had been blown off in Blue Downs and Lotus River.

Plastic sheeting had been supplied to those residents whose houses had been damaged in the storm in the Sir Lowry?s Pass Village while meals were also handed out.

Minnie said roofs were also damaged in the Oakbridge retirement home in the Strand.

Disruptions to electricity occurred in Durbanville, Oakdale, Parow, Constantia and Kenilworth areas.

Salvation Army representative Major Barry Schwarz said his organisation fed 1 800 people on Saturday night and a further 1 500 people on Sunday night.

He said the Salvation Army had distributed 1 000 blankets.

Schwarz said most of those affected were from the informal settlements in Kosovo, Nyanga, parts of Khayelitsha, Crossroads, and Sir Lowry?s Pass village.

Fieldworkers were busy assessing the needs of the communities. SA Red Cross representative Elsa Green said the organisation had helped residents of 12 shacks which had ”blown away” in Mandela Park Hout Bay. They were provided with hot food and blankets.

She said the Red Cross was also feeding 500 people sheltering at a community centre in Nyanga while 400 people were being fed in the Heinz Park centre in Philippi.

Green said the Red Cross also received calls for assistance from Franschhoek in the Boland. – Sapa