Humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers, says teams are assisting close to 15 000 residents in the Western Cape who have been affected by flooding amid heavy rainfall and strong winds.
Residents from mostly informal settlements have been affected.
In Ward 99 in Khayelitsha, at least 4000 people have been displaced.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued warnings for inclement weather until Friday.
Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay says they are working in 12 informal settlements.
He says since Friday they have been inundated with calls for assistance.
Sablay says, “We are working around the clock with the locals and the Western Cape Disaster Management teams in assisting these affected people, but calls have been pouring in from 4am this morning. Our phones have been non-stop ringing. The Old Town is completely cut off. There’s calls coming in from the website for humanitarian aid.”
“Last year we could still take the helicopter and deliver aid but with the current weather, we have to work on another plan as this rain is still coming down in the excessive manner,” adds Sablay.
VIDEO | Several cold fronts to hit the Western Cape until Friday:
Eastern Cape snow
Light snowfalls have dusted a number of high-lying roads in the Eastern Cape, but not enough to necessitate any road closures.
Some of the affected roads are the N6 near Jamestown, the Lootsberg pass on the N9 and the Wapadsberg pass on the R61.
Provincial Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose says they are continuously monitoring the situation.
“The snowfall is not heavy enough to effect any road closures, but with snow the roads are slippery. We urge road users to be vigilant at mountain passes and should the snowfall reach dangerous proportions our officials will not think twice to close the road.”
