WEST COAST DISTRICT – The West Coast District Municipality is facing a multi-pronged emergency situation as severe weather has led to evacuations, critical infrastructure damage, widespread power outages, and numerous road closures across all five local municipalities.
Rivers across the region continue to rise rapidly, prompting urgent flood warnings and calls for residents in low-lying areas to prepare for potential evacuation.
Cederberg Municipality has declared an urgent flood warning, with municipal spokesperson Anthony Vusumzi Mlata confirming that the situation remains critical and dynamic.
As of early Tuesday morning, 121 residents have been evacuated from the Riverview Informal Settlement in Citrusdal and taken to the Citrusdal town hall.
In a separate incident, emergency medical services (EMS) and SAPS are currently on scene at farm Seweoliene, where 25-30 people remain trapped due to rising floodwaters. Rescue operations are ongoing.
“River rising rapidly with strong winds. SAPS, Law Enforcement, and Municipal officials are on high alert,” Mlata stated on Tuesday 12 May.
However, with river levels continuing to rise, authorities anticipate that more evacuations will be necessary.
The town of Citrusdal has been effectively cut off from the N7 national route, severely limiting access to the area. Municipal officials are constantly monitoring the situation and keeping the District Operations Coordination Centre (DOCC) informed of developments.
Several critical routes in the Cederberg region have been closed:
• The MR542 (Jan Dissels – Clanwilliam) is closed to all traffic with immediate effect due to flooding. The public is warned to exercise extreme caution in the area, as the road is hazardous due to flooding.
• Hexrivier Road, Citrusdal: TEMPORARILY CLOSED to all traffic with immediate effect due to flooding and a downed electricity cable on the road, making conditions extremely hazardous. The public is warned to exercise extreme caution, as the road is dangerous due to flooding, debris, and the live electricity cable.
• Algeria Campsite Access: Closed due to flooded low-lying bridges. The popular campsite, already scheduled for a two-year closure due to flood damage repairs, remains inaccessible.
• Wupperthal Areas: Also inaccessible due to flooding, with emergency repairs ongoing.
• R303 (Ceres to Op Die Berg): Stop-and-go traffic controls are in place, with potential delays of up to 40 minutes.
• Wupperthal Road (Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve to Wupperthal): Extremely rocky conditions; high-clearance vehicles strongly advised.
The Cederberg Municipality has also been forced to adjust refuse collection schedules in Citrusdal due to persistent rainfall:
– Riverview Informal Settlement: Friday, 15 May 2026
– Dorpswyk: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
– Oranjeville and Heuwelsig: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Cederberg Power Outages
Residents of Graafwater are currently without electricity in areas behind and around the municipal offices due to a loose cable caused by weather conditions. Electrical teams are on site but are dealing with multiple issues across various towns.
Bergrivier Municipality‘s disaster response teams worked throughout Monday evening, responding to various weather-related incidents across the municipal area following severe weather conditions.
In Porterville, the roadway beneath the low-water bridge at the intersection of Park Street and Buitengracht Street has been flooded due to current weather conditions. As a safety precaution, municipal officials had to close the area to traffic.
More critically, the low-water bridge at Oukraal in Goedverwacht has been completely washed away due to heavy rainfall, cutting off access to the area.
In Bokkomlaan, municipal teams deployed sandbags to create a protective barrier wall to help mitigate potential flooding risks. Strong winds caused a section of the wall at Rhinopark to collapse, with municipal teams continuing to assess the situation.
Teams are also monitoring the bridge at the entrance to Redelinghuys as a precautionary measure due to weather conditions.
Several incidents of fallen trees have been reported across the area, while certain parts of Piketberg are experiencing electricity outages. Electrical teams are attending to the faults and working to restore the supply where possible.
Throughout Monday evening, municipal emergency personnel remained on duty to monitor identified hotspot areas and respond to any situation that may pose a threat to motorists, municipal infrastructure, or the safety of residents.
Bergrivier Municipality thanked all emergency and operational personnel for their continued dedication in ensuring the safety of the community.
Swartland Municipality is dealing with multiple flooding incidents and power outages across its area of jurisdiction.
The Bokomo Road Taxi Rank in Malmesbury has both lanes closed due to sand and debris on the roadway, with water levels remaining high. Swartland Traffic Law Enforcement Services is diverting traffic around the affected area.
The R315 Darling-Yzerfontein Road near Grootberg Farm in Darling is flooded, and road users are advised to proceed with extreme caution.
Several areas were without electricity:
• Malmesbury: Power outage affected areas around St Thomas, St John, Arcadia and surrounding streets due to a flooded transformer. Civil Services are busy with clean-up operations in Bokomo Way. Once they have finished, the road will be reopened.
• Dalsig: Due to severe flooding and high water levels, the technical team cannot access the infrastructure to restore electricity. The team must wait for water levels to recede and will reassess the situation in a few hours. This leaves the Dalsig area without power, potentially until Wednesday morning.
• Kalbaskraal and Abbotsdale: ESKOM has informed Swartland Municipality that they are aware of the power interruptions. In Kalbaskraal, ESKOM is in the process of fault-finding. In Abbotsdale, several posts are down and ESKOM is awaiting repairs by a contractor. No estimated repair times have been provided.
Saldanha Bay Municipality is attending to an unplanned power outage affecting consumers in the Middelpos informal settlement, Saldanha. The electrical team is busy with fault-finding to restore supply to affected consumers, with the time of restoration unconfirmed.
In addition, the entrance road to the Vredenburg Landfill Site has been temporarily closed until further notice due to stormy weather. The road from the SPCA towards the landfill site will be used as an alternative access route.
Matzikama Municipality is experiencing higher turbidity in raw water due to severe weather conditions and runoff in the catchment area, negatively impacting the filtration system at the waterworks.
The Technical Services Department is continuously monitoring water quality, and necessary treatment processes are being applied to ensure drinking water meets required health standards.
Consumers may experience discolouration or turbidity of the water. Persons affected by turbid water are encouraged to report it to the municipality’s call centre at 027 201 3404 or 081 040 8334. This information helps the municipality compile an accurate profile of the problem in the network and take further sample tests.
N1: Worcester closure
Adding to the emergency situation, the N1 at Worcester has been closed until further notice, along with various passes along the escarpment, severely impacting access to and from Cape Town.
Premier Alan Winde issued an urgent transport announcement advising anyone currently using the N1 towards Cape Town to find a safe place to stop and sleep until a more direct route opens up.
For those who must reach Cape Town, four alternative routes are available, three of which divert through the West Coast District via the N7:
- At Victoria West, divert to R63 to R67 Loxton-Fraserburg-Williston-Calvinia-Nieuwoudtville-Vanrhynsdorp to N7.
- Just before Beaufort West, divert via R381 to Loxton-Fraserburg-Williston-Calvinia-Nieuwoudtville-Vanrhynsdorp to N7.
- At Leeu Gamka, divert to R353 to Loxton-Fraserburg-Williston-Calvinia-Nieuwoudtville-Vanrhynsdorp to N7.
- After Touws Rivier and Kleinstraat, divert to R318 to Montagu-Ashton to N2 via Swellendam to Grabouw-Cape Town. (The R318 has no shoulders and is a narrow-tarred road; the route via Bonnievale-Stormsvlei has a single lane bridge and is not recommended.)
The Western Cape Government warns that cellular signal may be limited in rural areas along these alternative routes, and drivers are urged to exercise extreme caution.
However, with Citrusdal cut off from N7 access and multiple road closures throughout the West Coast District, motorists are warned that even alternative routes may be compromised.
The Western Cape Provincial Government, together with affected municipalities, disaster management teams, emergency services, and humanitarian partners, continue to respond to severe weather impacts across the province.
Safety warnings
Authorities are issuing the following urgent safety warnings to residents:
• BE ALERT and PREPARE TO EVACUATE if instructed by authorities.
• Stay away from rivers, streams, and flooded roadways.
• Gravel roads are hazardous due to erosion and debris.
• Fallen trees and power lines may block roads; exercise extreme caution when travelling.
• People on farms or near rivers at risk must contact authorities immediately.
• Avoid unnecessary travel.
• Stay clear of damaged structures and power lines.
• Check on elderly neighbours and vulnerable community members.
Emergency Contact Numbers
- West Coast District Disaster Centre: 022 495 0229 / 022 495 0231 / 022 495 0232
- Bergrivier Municipality – Fire and Disaster Management:
- Piketberg: 060 941 3606
- Porterville: 060 941 3330
- Velddrif: 060 941 3598
- Redelinghuys: 067 593 0672 / 060 941 3606 / 083 272 4130
- Aurora: 060 941 3598 / 083 272 4131
- Eendekuil: 067 593 0664 / 060 941 3330 / 083 272 4137
- Goedverwacht & Wittewater: 060 941 3606
- Cederberg Municipality: 027 482 8000
- Swartland Municipality: Official channels.
- Saldanha Bay Municipality: Call Centre: 022 701 7061 / 6974.
- Matzikama Municipality: Call Centre: 027 201 3404 / 081 040 8334.
Residents are urged to monitor official Western Cape Government communication channels, including www.westerncape.gov.za, for updates on road closures and weather conditions.
The situation remains fluid, and this article will be updated as more information becomes available.
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