Cape Town winter readiness does not include the townships, says Khayelitsha community leader

Demonstrators burnt tyres at the corner of Baden Powell Drive and Japhta Masemola Road in a protest over blocked storm water drains. Photos: Vincent Lali

On Monday, demonstrators burnt tyres at Baden Powell Drive in Cape Town, forcing traffic to turn back, in a protest over storm water drains in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.

Community leader Luthando Woko said informal settlement residents were demanding that the City of Cape Town fix about six damaged and neglected drains on the busy Japhta Masemola Road.

Woko said his shack was currently flooded and the problem had been going on for years.

“I want the City employees to come here, identify all the blocked drains and unblock them,” he said.

When GroundUp visited the area in June last year it was also flooded and residents were busy fixing the drains themselves, using spades and picks to remove soil.

“As a temporary measure, the City must place slabs on Japhta Masemola Road to prevent the water from flowing into our shacks,” said Woko.

Community leader Vumile Madikane said a City truck had come on Sunday to pump out the water but the water collected again within half an hour.

Siphele Xabendlini said they want vehicles permanently parked at the site to pump out water whenever it accumulates. He said the water was knee high in his shack.

Xabendlini said the City had placed sandbags on the road, but the sand washed into the drains and blocked them.

Khayelitsha SA National Civics Organisation (SANCO) convenor Myolisi Magibisela said, “Even though the City announced its winter readiness before the winter came, we don’t see the readiness in the townships.”

“The drains are in dreadful condition even in other areas of Khayelitsha. This winter seems to have caught the city unprepared,” he said.

Ward Councillor Lucky Mbiza said he had reported the drain problem but the City had not attended to it adequately.

Mayco Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas said people living illegally in a wetland “not fit for human habitation” had closed an outlet to prevent water from draining into their settlement. This had caused the flooding.

“There are a few damaged catch pit inlets which the team is attending to. Nearly all of the manholes and catch pits have been cleaned with some works currently still in progress,” he said.

Quintas said, “The outlet which was closed/blocked off … is the outlet for the stormwater runoff coming from Japtha K Masemola Road during rainfall events … This is causing flooding on the corner of Baden Powell Road.”

“The Roads Infrastructure Management team is facing a situation where the water cannot be pumped to alternative locations as almost all possible locations are illegally occupied,” he said.

Busy Japhta Masemola Road is flooded.

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