A cloud burst resulting in flash floods affecting busy streets and residential areas left Helderbergers knee-deep in water across Strand and Somerset West last Monday (20 February).
Moments after the downpour one of the worst-affected streets, Mynhardt Street in Gants Plaza, was nearly inaccessible to vehicles, forcing authorities to implement a partial closure of the busy route around 15:00 on Monday.
Councillor Siseko Mbandezi, Acting Mayoral Committee Member for the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department, confirmed the flooding was caused by the Lourens River being partially blocked by debris.
He said the excess water was, therefore, diverted into secondary drainage systems causing flooding at the Gants Centre and in Victoria Park in Somerset West.
Mbandezi explained this problematic section of the Lourens River will be upgraded in two phases.
“During phase 1 of the contract – possible commencement in April – the pipes that cross the river will be lowered, meaning it will be placed underground to prevent debris from getting trapped,” he said. “This will prevent future similar problems.”
Victoria Park residents also battled to access the suburb due to the heavy downpour, which resulted in water-logged streets. The situation was worsened by water not passing through the canal due to overgrown vegetation, instead spilling back onto the streets, further frustrating residents who had previously warned that lack of maintenance by the council would have repercussions.
The Victoria Park Neighbourhood Watch was at the forefront of the matter, reporting and requesting routine maintenance action from the City. But members claim the response has often been slow or lacking.
Watch members on Monday (20 February) turned to the newspaper following the latest incident, claiming that flash floods remain a contentious issue that remains unresolved.
Chantal Cerfontein, Subcouncil 8 chairperson, said that the City was aware of the matter and the last clean-up was in April 2021. “Owing to unavailability of implementable tenders in 2022 no maintenance has been done since then,” she clarified.
Cerfontein further said Catchment Stormwater & River Management (CSRM) maintenance tenders have been in place since December, quotes had been received and council was awaiting Health and Safety specification before contractors could commence with works within the next two weeks.
In terms of routine maintenance, she said the canal was part of the CSRM maintenance programme and was scheduled to be cleaned once a year and on an ad hoc basis should there be an emergency.
“The canal will be cleaned/maintained within the next few weeks, and any growth that should occur after the clean-up won’t cause any flooding when winter rains start,” she added.
Ward 83 councillor Carl Punt, in response to an enquiry, elaborated that the City contract to attend to channel cleaning, includes the Melcksloot and Geelsloot, which runs through Victoria Park, Lourensia Park, Paardevlei and areas of Somerset Mall.
“Some maintenance work can be done mechanically and the rest needs to be done by hand, so the contractor will also make use of [Expanded Public Works Programme] work opportunities,” he assured.
