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| Gift of the Givers Disaster Response |
The Western Cape has been devastated by strong winds and heavy rains, leading to the nonprofit organisation Gift of the Givers providing disaster relief supplies and support to those in need. Residents of flooded informal settlements call on the government to provide suitable land and housing as winter weather threatens their homes and well-being. Gift of the Givers has been active in 17 areas, providing disaster relief supplies such as food, blankets, and toiletry packs.
Lwandle and Nomzamo, neighbouring township districts in Strand, Cape Town, where they provided aid to 1,500 people, have been inundated with calls for help. Residents are still shocked by the storm's intensity, as it had been a few years since they had experienced one that severe. Many homes have lost roofs or walls, while some are still filled with water and sewage due to blocked storm drains.
Lwandle resident Bongiwe Nonkeneze, who has been living in the same place since 2010, has yet to see any real improvement in living conditions in the area. She has been trying to sweep water out of her home when they visited, and she wants a better life for her children. It has been over 20 years since a housing project was undertaken in Lwandle.
ANC councillor Xolani Diniso, who oversees Ward 86 encompassing Lwandle, said the local councillors had submitted a winter readiness plan calling on the City of Cape Town to help unblock storm drains in the area. However, the only "permanent solution" to the problem of seasonal flooding is the provision of proper housing to local residents. It has been more than 20 years since a housing project had been undertaken in Lwandle.
The City of Cape Town has been working to address housing concerns among residents of Nomzamo and Lwandle, using a mixture of formal, gap, and social rental housing to address the housing crisis, along with upgrades to informal settlements and enhancing access to essential services. Zahid Badroodien, the mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, said the directorate had been doing extensive work in areas across the city to reduce the risk of sewer overflows. This included sewer and pump station maintenance, cleaning sewer pipelines, and inspecting illegal stormwater-to-sewer connections at properties.
Residents can help reduce sewer overflows by not using toilets, kitchen sinks, and sewer drains like dirt bins. Sewer systems are designed to only convey human waste, greywater, toilet paper, and any other solid substances that will eventually cause blockages and overflows.
Gift of the Givers has been on high alert since last Thursday when Western Cape Disaster Risk Management informed us that severe weather would hit the region over the weekend. The organisation responded to a mega-fire in Kayamandi, where strong winds were blowing about zinc sheets and other debris from the fire. The decision was made to evacuate residents to local community halls, and Gift of the Givers committed to providing food for the evacuees for the next five days.
On Monday, the organisation received requests for help from 17 communities in the Western Cape. They have split their teams into two: one focusing on the N2, one focusing on the Cape metropole area, and one on the N1, concentrating on the Drakenstein and Cape Winelands areas.
Gift of the Givers has called in additional resources in terms of goods from their warehouses in KZN and Johannesburg. On Tuesday, the organisation helped a further 480 people in Nomzamo, dispatched to Mbekweni township, Paarl East, and the town of Saron. They will also provide assistance in George and Oudtshoorn, where extreme downpours have led to roads flooding and schools being closed.
Donations for the Gift of the Givers disaster relief operation can be made by calling the toll-free number 080 078 6911 or visiting their website. Items needed include blankets, personal hygiene products, and baby care supplies.
