No let up as storms lash the Western Cape

2-minute read
23 June 2023 | 16:05 CAT

Image: TimesLIVE

The Cape of Storms had lived up to its name after heavy rains brought on by a series of cold fronts since last week have caused major damage to the Western Cape’s roads and infrastructure. The flooding disrupts the electricity supply and no train services as well.

This has led to several road closures, including the N1 through the Huguenot Tunnel towards Cape Town.

Thousands of people had to be evacuated with organisations such as the Gift of the Givers providing aid where they could do so.

Areas particularly hard hit were the Cape Winelands and West Coast.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Councillor Peter Helfrich of Ward 109 in the City of Cape Town said the situation is dire, with many people from informal settlements losing their belongings and livelihood and being displaced.

According to Helfrich, many informal settlements still need to go through the necessary process to obtain approval to build structures where they live. Many informal settlements are in low-line wetlands or flood plains, causing a much more severe effect on settlements.

Meanwhile, more than R10 million in humanitarian relief has been spent in the flood-ravaged Western Cape as mop-up operations continue, according to the Gift of the Givers Foundation.

Gift of the Givers estimated that more than 10 000 people were affected by the flooding, and at least 2 000 were displaced.

Aid deliveries were made to communities in Strand, Faure, Mbekweni, Grabouw, Caledon, KTC, Nyanga, Bonteheuwel, Khayelitsha, Langa, Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Atlantis and Villiersdorp.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with host Aanisa Essack.

Moulana Ebrahim Bham elected JUSA president

Umamah Bakharia 8 September 2026 | 07:40 CAT 3-minute read The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa (JUSA) has concluded its elective Annual General Meeting (AGM), with Moulana Ebrahim Ismail Bham elected as its new president for the next four years. The AGM was held at the...

Assad death sentence ‘only one step’ towards justice for Syrian victims

Umamah Bakharia 8 September 2026 | 10:05 CAT 3-minute read https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1RKZzBVMAddKB The death sentence handed to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in absentia is an important psychological moment for victims of his regime, but it is only one step...

No Glitches, Says IEC

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 03 September 2026 2-minute read At a briefing in Centurion on Tuesday, the Independent Electoral Commission announced that the candidate nomination system for all parties and independent candidates will not be considered after...

COJ Settles Debt

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 01 September 2026 2-minute read The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has welcomed Eskom’s withdrawal of its electricity supply interruption process against the City of Johannesburg after the municipality and City Power...

Abductions In Nigeria

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 31 August 2026 3-minute read Mass kidnappings have become an increasingly serious security threat in Nigeria, with a recent assault in Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria, bringing renewed attention to the scale of the...

Alarming new report finds that if Joburg fails, SA fails

Umamah Bakharia 26 August 2026 | 12:15 CAT 2-minute read Johannesburg is sitting on the periphery of total collapse, with experts warning that the deterioration of South Africa’s economic hub could have consequences far beyond the city. A new report by the Centre for...