Western Cape govt to seek provincial state of disaster as flooding damages bill sits at R700m

The Western Cape government intends to apply to the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) for the declaration of a provincial state of disaster after severe flooding in the province in June.

On Tuesday, the provincial cabinet was presented with a consolidated damage report that the Department of Local Government compiled.

It contained an estimation for unfunded damages to the tune of more than R700 million.

"The declaration of a provincial disaster by the NDMC will allow us to approach the national government for funding support as the scope of damages are beyond the ability of the provincial fiscus," Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said.

The largest portion of the unfunded damages are in the agricultural sector (R500 million). The Department of Agriculture has reprioritised R18.6million to assist the sector, according to Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer.

"The damage to agriculture irrigation, fencing, orchards, vineyards, crops as well as the damage caused by the removal of sediment upstream and which was later deposited downstream in the rivers and riparian zone was extensive. The decision to approach the national government is therefore welcomed," he said.

Agri Western Cape CEO Jannie Strydom said declaring a provincial state of disaster would enable the Western Cape government to access funds to repair damage to infrastructure.

"For the agricultural sector to function well, good infrastructure is essential. We are grateful for the support offered by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, and trust that national will also make a contribution to assist farmers in the Western Cape so that food production can continue," Strydom said. 

News24 previously reported that early assessments showed the agriculture sector suffered more than R1 billion in infrastructure damage during the flooding, with the West Coast, Cape Winelands and Overberg the worst affected.

Vice-chairperson for the Citrus Growers Association in the Western Cape, Gerrit van der Merwe, told News24 that around 8 000 hectares of farms in Orange Valley, Elephants River Valley, Clanwilliam and Citrusdal had been damaged.

In addition, farmers experienced a 10% to 15% fruit drop as heavy rains caused fruit to fall from trees.

Unfunded damages to provincial infrastructure have been calculated as R181 million.  

The provincial Department of Infrastructure has reprioritised R4.6 million from its appropriated budget for the 2023/24 financial year to address immediate repairs to critical infrastructure.

Infrastructure MEC Tertius Simmers said:

The aftermath of the devastation of the floods still lingers and is there for all to see.

"Although we were able to reconnect our towns and reopen parts of our roads within days of the floods, the declaration of a state of disaster will assist in accelerating the economic recovery.

"The restoration of infrastructure will enable a seamless movement of goods and services to market as well as enable the commute of residents," Simmers said.

"As a province that exports more than 50% of the country's agriculture products, we must ensure that our infrastructure enables the sector to operate optimally. This will further ensure that the stature of the infrastructure is preserved and help mitigate future erosion," Simmers added.

Unfunded damages to municipal infrastructure, after reprioritised budgets were taken into consideration, was calculated as R21.5 million.

Bredell said the flood damage should also be seen in the context of climate change and the understanding that future flooding and droughts will be of a more intense nature.

"When we rebuild from this disaster, we need to ensure our planning and design is with our eyes on the future. Well maintained ecosystems, such as catchments and river courses that are clear of alien vegetation allow for better water retention, less erosion, and free-flowing rivers that prevent expensive damage to infrastructure or possible loss of life," he said.

This article first appeared on News24

Photo: News24