HEAVY rains over the past two days have flooded homes across Cape Town, forcing residents to live in soaked conditions.
In KTC, Gugulethu, one of the hardest-hit areas, people are struggling to cope. Olwethu Gcaza (38), a mum of two, said she had no choice but to leave her shack and seek shelter at KTC community hall.
"I couldn't stay inside the shack with my six-year-old child because of the flooding. My other child is not around, so I just took the younger one with me and took him to the hall. We live like fish. We cannot live in the house. For all these years, we've been told that we will get homes, but nothing is being done. We are on the waiting list but we haven't got a house regardless of being on the list for years," she said.
Olwethu said she and her parents have lived in the same shack since 1994 and have faced flooding every year.
Another resident, Mbulelo Kasele, said he repaired his shack in summer hoping to avoid more damage. "Last year I threw away my cupboard and wardrobe because my furniture was wet and rotting from the flooding. I fixed my shack, but the heavy rains are showing me that I did nothing," he said.
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Councillor Susan Zumana confirmed that both formal and informal homes have been affected. She managed to arrange temporary shelter at the local hall but said not everyone accepted the offer.
"Thieves take advantage and break in their homes, so they rather sleep in flooded homes than going to the community hall. They have to balance, protecting their homes or going to the hall," said Zumana.
She said that permanent housing is the only real solution. "This problem happens every year and the only solution is to provide these people with houses and remove them from this area," she said.
Resident Xolani Nzwane said he spent the whole night trying to drain water from his shack. "I can't be in the hall and leave my home alone. I had to be in my house and try and fix things," he said.
Disaster Management spokeswoman Charlotte Powell said they've received several reports of flooding in homes and roads. In Burundi, Mfuleni, 112 structures were affected, displacing 119 people. More than 100 homes were flooded in Zola informal settlement and Oliver Tambo, while 200 dwellings were affected in Sweethome Farms.
Other impacted areas include Khayelitsha, Langa, Nyanga, and Gugulethu.
