Adverse weather over the weekend caused widespread electricity outages throughout the Western Cape’s interior. The Western Cape Disaster Management Centre was activated to coordinate relief efforts in the Central Karoo, Garden Route and Overberg regions.
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Anton Bredell, the Western Cape’s MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning, stated that the areas have been without electricity since Saturday.
‘The power outage affected large parts of the interior of the Western Cape when Eskom suffered multiple powerline failures due to thunderstorms. Eskom confirmed that seven powerline towers collapsed over the weekend, and ground crews are currently assessing the damage,’ Bredell said.
‘As we do not have an indication on how long it will take to restore the powerlines, we must plan for support to critical functions such as water, sewage, hospitals, and schools in the affected areas for the next few days,’ he said.
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‘Also, the weather predictions for this week show heatwave conditions for the Central and Klein Karoo as well as the possibility of further isolated thunderstorms. This adds complexity to the electricity outage as cold chains and water supply are even more critical during these conditions.’
Leeugamka, Merweville, Laingsburg, Sutherland and Prince Albert are among the Central Karoo towns affected. Ladysmith is affected in the Garden Route District, while Napier and a significant portion of the surrounding rural farming community, including the area between Wolwengat and Pearly Beach, are also impacted in the Overberg.
Bredell stated that an assessment is currently underway to inform the support provided to the affected communities.
‘Support can be in the form of trucked-in water, bottled water, generators for boreholes that provide drinking water, or generators for wastewater systems. We will be communicating directly with the affected communities as information becomes available,’ Bredell said.
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Meanwhile, the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has dispatched volunteers and trucks to the Klein Karoo to provide immediate assistance to local clinics and hospitals.
‘Laingsburg, Prince Albert, Leeu Gamka and Merwewille were the hardest hit towns. Gift of the Givers has received requests from the Western Cape Disaster Management teams, municipalities, and health facilities for urgent assistance with water as most of the towns’ boreholes are washed and unable to function due to the towns not having electricity,’ Gift of the Givers spokesperson, Ali Sablay told IOL.
He also stated the power utility estimated repairs would take 10 to 14 days.
‘Gift of the Givers teams will be distributing five-litre bottled water to all the major hospitals, clinics, old age homes, and schools in the affected areas,’ Sablay said.
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