The Western Cape has incurred R1.8bn in flood damage to roads since June 2023, says Dirk Wessels, a member of the provincial legislature and the DA’s spokesperson on infrastructure.
Wessels said the figure underscored the “profound impact of climate change on the design, construction, maintenance and operation of our road infrastructure”.
“In light of these challenges, the department of infrastructure is mitigating risks by ensuring that new infrastructure is built to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Wessels.
“The severe flood damage, particularly in rural areas, has created unsafe commuting conditions and has often cut off communities from essential access to neighbouring areas critical for economic exchange and livelihoods.”
He said numerous roads within the province’s 32,202km road network had been closed, necessitating the reallocation of resources by the department of infrastructure to ensure that strategic routes remained safe and accessible for the public.
Wessels said several roads continued to be affected by the weather events and required permanent maintenance and repair.
“The success of these efforts is contingent upon available budget resources and may take years to complete, especially considering the overall reductions in the transport infrastructure budget.
“Additionally, budget cuts across various departments within the Western Cape government may further hinder the transport infrastructure branch’s ability to carry out necessary flood damage repairs. The recent flood damage highlights the urgent need for South Africa at large to adapt infrastructure to changing weather patterns.”
TimesLIVE
Nhlanhla Mabunda
www.timeslive.co.za
