Winde assesses disaster damage and recovery

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Western Cape Premier Alan Winde described the recent severe weather event as one of the most significant disasters to affect the Western Cape in many years, with estimated damages exceeding R9b.

This follows his visit and engagement with Bitou municipal stakeholders on the impact of the severe weather that struck the region in early May.

The engagement took place on Friday 19 June. Winde joined Bitou Municipality, the Garden Route District Municipality, Eskom, the South African Police Service (Saps), provincial government officials and representatives of the Harkerville community in discussions on the impact of the disaster and the prolonged power outages experienced across parts of the Bitou municipal area.

Winde reaffirmed that the Western Cape Government is working closely with all spheres of government and key stakeholders to support affected communities while prioritising long-term planning and resilience measures to ensure the province is better equipped to respond effectively to future disasters.

According to a press statement, 98% of all affected communities had been reconnected by Monday 22 June. Eskom has committed to reconnecting all clients affected by the outages by Wednesday 24 June.

Community voices at the forefront
According to Harkerville commu-nity liaison Courtney Cuthbert, the concerns of affected residents were brought to the attention of the premier, leading to the high-level engagement.

She said that the discussions were largely driven by the concerns and demands raised by affected communities.

During the engagement, community representatives outlined the significant hardships caused by extended electricity outages, which affected residents, businesses and local economic activity in Harkerville, Covie, Nature's Valley, Kranshoek, Kurland, Fisanthoek and parts of Goose Valley.

Concerns were also raised regarding communication during the outage period, as well as the need for improved preventative maintenance and vegetation management around critical electricity infrastructure.

Cuthbert said on Monday 22 June that many residents still remained without power and expressed hope that all affected customers would be reconnected by 25 June.

She said that some progress had been made, but she could not yet describe it as significant. She had been informed that Western Cape Premier Alan Winde would place pressure on Eskom to expedite the restoration process and that a follow-up meeting involving Winde, Eskom representatives and local government officials was held on Monday.

However, she believed that communication with affected residents remained a concern, with some reporting limited feedback despite repeated follow-ups. Future updates would likely be communicated through councillors and official channels.

On the upside, she said it was a positive that Eskom indicated it would consider waiving certain fees for customers who had been without electricity for extended periods.

Eskom and police respond
Eskom acknowledged the concerns raised by communities and explained that the severe weather had impacted multiple municipalities across the Western Cape simultaneously, placing considerable strain on operational resources and response teams.

The utility further noted that incidents of cable theft continued to hamper restoration efforts and contributed to delays in restoring electricity supply to affected areas.

The police called on residents to support law enforcement agencies in the fight against cable theft and the protection of critical infrastructure, emphasising that community co-operation remains vital in preventing service disruptions and safeguarding essential services.

Focus on recovery and resilience
Bitou Mayor Jessica Kamkam and Garden Route District Mayor Marais Kruger acknowledged the efforts of Eskom personnel and all stakeholders involved in the emergency response and recovery process.

Both mayors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborative action aimed at mitigating the impact of the current disaster and strengthening preparedness for future severe weather events.

Winde stressed the importance of co-operation between government, communities and stakeholders in both the ongoing recovery process and future disaster preparedness initiatives.

Winde said they were committed to restoring damaged infrastructure as swiftly and safely as possible.

"However, given the scale of the destruction, recovery will take time. Our priority is to reopen and repair the most critical routes and infrastructure first, while ensuring that every intervention is carefully planned and executed. It is important that we not only repair and reconstruct, but that we build back stronger."

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