Water restrictions will remain in place in the Cape metropolis where dams were below their normal levels because of drought when torrential rains struck at the weekend, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio reported on Wednesday.
The report said this is in spite of good rain in the catchment areas of major dams.
Earlier, a city official, who wanted to remain anonymous, had said the weighted average of the five major dams — Wemmershoek, the upper and lower Steenbras dams, Voëlvlei and Theewaterskloof — had actually decreased.
Last Monday, this average stood at 27%, and on Monday it was 26,3%.
However, the official said the decrease was lower than the average weekly decrease in the five dams of about 1,5%.
Also, a fairer reflection of the effect of the rains can only be ascertained next week, once the run-off from the rain has been collected.
Meanwhile, the SABC report said 167mm had fallen in the catchment area of the Theewaterskloof since Sunday, 78mm in that of the Steenbras dams, 49mm in that of Wemmershoek and 26mm in that of Voëlvlei.
On Tuesday evening, after a helicopter damage-assessment trip with Premier Ebrahim Rasool, provincial minister of local government Marius Fransman said in a statement that more than 20 areas around the province have been affected.
”As a government, we are doing all we can to ensure that the situation returns to normal,” he said.
”All our municipalities are working around the clock to ensure that roads are opened, homeless people are fed and returned to their fixed properties and all other affected areas are sorted out.”
Fransman said a high-level team from several provincial departments will report to him with an assessment by Friday.
In greater Hermanus, 350 informal homes and 120 formal houses were damaged by the storm. In Napier, 150 shack dwellers were being housed in the community hall and were given emergency relief.
One formal home in the town had collapsed, and sewage and stormwater drainage pipes were damaged, leaving raw sewage flowing into the local river.
In Bredasdorp, 818 ”private houses” were damaged, and another 400 government-subsidy homes were affected.
About 2 000 people there were receiving emergency relief.
Faan Naude, chief provincial director for disaster management, said earlier the air force was conducting flights over the Overberg and surrounding areas to help determine the extent of the flood damage.
Rivers burst their banks and towns were cut off from the outside world in Sunday and Monday’s deluge, with Bredasdorp among the worst hit.
Near Montagu, the Kinga River had flooded and the road linking the town with Barrydale had to be closed.
The Kogmanskloof River also burst its banks and partially submerged the Van der Merwe bridge, with the road between Ashton and Montagu closed as a result.
The Tradouw’s Pass between Barrydale and Suurbraak was closed because of rockfalls.
Naude said no further damage was reported in Caledon, although the N2 highway towards Riviersonderend was closed to traffic after being damaged.
No significant damage was reported in the Eden district municipality, which serves the towns of Knysna, Plettenberg and George.
Naude said all services appeared to be back to normal in Cape Town.
Mopping-up operations were continuing, especially of stormwater drains either blocked or damaged.
Sixty-one families from the temporary tented accommodation at Joe Slovo informal settlement were relocated to the Langa civic centre.
Naude said thousands of people were affected by the rains.
”The cost of the damage can’t be assessed at this stage but it could run into millions of rands,” he said. — Sapa