As the floodwaters slowly recede across parts of the Western Cape, families are returning to homes caked in mud, with furniture destroyed and livelihoods washed away in what experts warn is yet another devastating sign of climate change tightening its grip on South Africa.
Some 3,628 people across the province have been displaced by the latest floods and are being accommodated in community halls.
The Cape Winelands district municipality recorded the highest number of displaced residents at 2,200, followed by the West Coast with 823, the Overberg with 315 and the Garden Route with 290.
In the City of Cape Town metro, 85,512 people living in 22,146 homes have been affected by the severe weather conditions.
For Vuyelwa Skomolo, returning to her flooded shack in Worcester after spending three nights away was heartbreaking. Mud covered the floors, furniture was broken, and many of her belongings were ruined beyond repair.
“When I left on Monday evening, the water had reached my waist and the bed was completely submerged,” she said. “I took my bed and clothes outside to dry, but some of the furniture was too damaged to salvage, so I had to throw it away, which is heartbreaking. I spent the whole day on Thursday trying to clean and couldn’t even go to work.”
In Suurbraak in the Overberg district municipality, 70-year-old Regina Fredericks said part of her home had collapsed during the storm.
“It’s very sad because this has been my home for many years,” she said. “The councillor told me disaster management officials will come to assess the damage, but for now I’ve been told not to move anything. I’m forced to live with the debris around me.”
Liza Louw in the Overberg said their house was badly affected by the storm.
“The left side of our hall collapsed, and part of the wall gave in, which caused structural damage to that section of the house,” she said. “The roof was also damaged, and there is now a large hole, which has allowed rainwater and wind to enter the house. Some of our belongings inside were affected by the water and debris.
“We have tried to cover the hole in the roof temporarily to prevent more rainwater from coming in. We are assessing the damage and arranging for repairs to the wall and roof as soon as possible.”
The destruction stretched far beyond informal settlements and homes.
The Robertson Wine Valley, home to some of South Africa’s best-known wine farms, was also battered by the floods, with vineyards, infrastructure and wine stock damaged.
Van Loveren Family Vineyards said in a statement the storm had brought “heartbreak” across the valley.
“At Van Loveren, our people are safe, warm, cared for and together, which is what matters most. We are still assessing the damage to our vineyards, infrastructure and wine stock while teams continue working around the clock across the farm and cellar,” the statement said.
Robertson Tourism said the tasting rooms at Viljoensdrift Fine Wines & River Cruises and Van Loveren Family Vineyards would remain closed until further notice, though wine orders would continue to be filled.
For many communities, the floods are a painful reminder that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a crisis unfolding in real time.
According to a 2024 University of Cape Town report on climate change impacts in South Africa, the country is already experiencing worsening climate-related disasters, with heatwaves, severe droughts and extreme rainfall expected to intensify as global temperatures rise.
Christopher Jack, director of the Climate System Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town, said failing infrastructure and poor municipal maintenance left many communities exposed when disasters struck.
“When extreme climate events occur, they often result in breakdowns in transport, electricity, sanitation, healthcare access and water supply,” he said. “Wealthier citizens are often buffered by private infrastructure, while poorer citizens are directly affected.”
While South Africa had strong climate policies, including the Climate Change Act, Jack said, implementation remained a major challenge.
“We do have good early warning systems, especially for flooding and extreme rainfall events, but warnings are only effective if communities and institutions are able to respond. Often, vulnerable communities have very little they can do to avoid the impacts.”
He warned that water scarcity, public health risks and food insecurity are among the country’s biggest long-term climate threats.
“Climate change cuts across many of South Africa’s existing challenges and affects our attempts to lift people out of poverty,” he said.
Regan Thaw, spokesperson for the office of the Western Cape premier, said the full cost of the damage could not yet be determined as disaster and emergency operations were still under way.
“Many of the affected areas remain inaccessible, which is hampering efforts to assess the extent of the damage and calculate the costs,” he said.
Yoliswa Sobuwa
www.timeslive.co.za
