Residents cast doubt over City's winter plans

WITH another cold front to hit the western parts of South Africa, the City of Cape Town has assured residents that they are well prepared with their winter readiness plan.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

However, despite these assurances a series of flooding incidents across the metro in recent weeks has cast a dark cloud over the actual state of readiness.

Just a week ago, a Parkwood grandmother issued an emotional plea to the City of Cape Town to urgently clear blocked drains ahead of the winter rains.

This comes after her eight-year-old grandson Tyler Cupido narrowly escaped drowning in a flooded street earlier this month.

Francis Fick, 60, said she believes the incident — which unfolded in Moosa Walk — could have been prevented if the stormwater system had been cleared in time.

The drains, she explained, routinely overflow during winter, turning the roads into what she described as “a river”.

Good Party's councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli, said the recent floods exposed systemic issues in the City's infrastructure maintenance, particularly the stormwater drainage network.

"In many of these communities, residents face the reality of rain entering their homes due to poor roof conditions and water backing up from blocked drains.

"This is directly linked to the City's failure to maintain its stormwater systems. Basic preventative measures, such as clearing stormwater drains, are not being carried out with the frequency or urgency required."