Gale-force winds destroyed informal housing, leaving hundreds destitute in Cape Town on Saturday, said disaster management officials.
Worst affected were Delft residents living in tents on the N2 Gateway project after being evicted, said spokesperson Wilfred Solomons.
South-easterly winds blowing at 90km/h left the tents unstable and unsafe, he said. Some had even been ”uprooted”, but contractors were on site to stabilise them.
The winds started on Friday and were expected to continue throughout the weekend, said Solomons. Disaster management services would remain on alert.
The wind also swept a fire through the Sheffield informal settlement in Philippi, on the Cape Flats, destroying 16 shacks and leaving 28 people homeless.
In the Cape Town city centre, scaffolding collapsed at a building site in Long Street. Building inspectors and metro police were on the scene to assess the damage.
Solomons also said two men had to be rescued when a boat capsized in Kommetjie. They were taken to False Bay Hospital. — Sapa