Residents of Masiphumelele were taking stock of the damage on Friday afternoon following days of gale winds and rain. More than 4 500 households in the informal settlement were seriously affected.
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Monica Ntonzini, who was scooping water out of her home, said her ceiling and floor were badly damaged by the weather, which only made the flooding worse.
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‘I have no other choice but to stay here. I don’t have anywhere else to go,’ said Ntonzini, who lives with her two children.
According to City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, over 4 500 households in Masiphumelele have been affected by flooding, with 2 500 of these homes having ‘water above ankle height.’
The informal settlement is located next to a wetland, making households on the periphery particularly susceptible to flooding.
Powell said most of the support with meals for affected residents in the area has come from the non-profit organisation Living Hope.
‘This is the 7th day of the response, so they are in need of additional food, blankets and baby packs. The City will continue to undertake impact assessments.’
Community leader Patiance Fani, who has been cooking food supplied by Living Hope, said that Masiphumelele urgently needs more support.
‘I can only cook meals for a few people. There are so many more people needing food.’
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Picture: Lucas Nowicki / Groundup