More than 41 000 people have been affected by severe flooding in Cape Town as South Africa declares a national disaster after storms, heavy rain and wind batter multiple provinces

Clean-up operations and repairs to infrastructure are being initiated, while the full extent of the damage wrought by the fire is still being assessed

This separate fire was not an extension of the Rhodes Memorial fire, according to authorities

The Rhodes Memorial Fire is still not under control as strong winds fuel the blazes, which have spread to the residential area of Vredehoek

A mountain fire burning at Sir Lowry’s Pass, near Somerset West, had been brought under control by Thursday morning, said the Cape Town disaster risk-management centre.…