Two successive cold fronts battered Cape Town over the weekend, flooding roads, closing a major coastal route and forcing disaster teams into informal settlements across the metro.
Why it matters: Cape Town’s informal settlements house hundreds of thousands of people in structures that cannot withstand sustained rainfall. Every winter storm season exposes the gap between the city’s infrastructure investment and the reality on the ground.
The damage
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Operations Centre received multiple reports of flooding from Simon’s Town in the south to Table View on the West Coast. Disaster risk management spokesperson Sonica Lategan confirmed that teams were assessing damage in Mkhonto Square Informal Settlement in Nyanga and in Brown’s Farm, where structures were affected by rising water.
Chapman’s Peak Drive, a key coastal route linking Hout Bay to Noordhoek, was closed due to dangerous conditions caused by heavy rain and wind.
Road disruptions
Simon’s Town experienced severe waterlogging, forcing traffic diversions via Soldier’s Way back onto Main Road. Bellville in the northern suburbs also reported high water levels. Fallen trees and waterlogged routes made driving conditions hazardous across the peninsula.
Snow and ongoing weather
Snow fell on the Worcester mountain peaks as temperatures dropped sharply. The South African Weather Service warned that wet and windy conditions would persist into Monday morning.
The City urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from flooded areas and report emergencies to the Disaster Operations Centre.