WeeklySA_AdminNETWORK: Hundreds of roads, bridges and mountain passes across the Western Cape have been damaged by severe flooding, with repair costs expected to surpass the devastation caused by the 2023 and 2024 storms.
By Liezl Human
A road in Wolseley blocked by debris after heavy rainfall and flooding. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
The cost of the damage to roads in the Western Cape from the storms in May is likely to exceed that of previous major floods in 2023 and 2024, according to the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure.
During the first week of May, several cold fronts left many roads in the province badly damaged, with some major routes still closed. Several passes experienced mud slides; roads and bridges were washed away or flooded. A total of 400 roads across the province were affected.
“Flood damage is widespread and severe with hundreds of roads affected and several major routes currently closed,” the department told GroundUp.
According to the department, major roads requiring significant repair include the Franschhoek Pass, Bainskloof Pass, Meiringpoort, Mitchells Pass, the R27 near Vredendal, and the R328 (Cango Caves Road).
“At this stage, cost estimates are not yet available particularly as some parts of the network remain inaccessible,” the department said.
“What is already clear, however, is that the scale of damage is likely to exceed that experienced during the 2023 and 2024 floods, with preliminary indications pointing to damages amounting to billions of rands.”
Frequent road closure updates show that many roads in the Cape Winelands and West Coast are still affected.
Other roads in the region that remain closed are Old N1 Road in Rawsonville, the R43 from Worcester to Villiersdorp, McGregor Road, and several roads in the Cederberg, such as Uitkyk Pass, Nieuwoudts Pass and Matjies River road.
In the Cape Winelands, many trucks were stranded during the storm.
Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, said some operators were stuck for days “whilst waters had to subside or damaged roads were cleared”. Some vehicles had to “back-track” and find alternative routes; others were “stuck in gravel roads that became mudpools”.
There are still some secondary roads that remain impassable.
“Some regional secondary roads were destroyed, and these will be off routes for a few months, at least,” said Kelly.
The provincial department said it will apply for disaster funding, although such funding “is not immediately available”.
In the meantime, provincial infrastructure minister Tertuis Simmers has asked the public to be patient as the department’s “main priority” is restoring “access where communities are completely cut off and where emergency and service delivery access is required”. – GroundUp
MIRROR Briefs
MK ACTS AGAINST CHIEF WHIP
The Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has removed its Chief Whip Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi from the Impeachment Committee after she was charged for fraud and extortion. Mokoena-Zondi is one of three MK party MPs appointed to serve on the committee regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conduct in the Phala Phala saga, alongside deputy president and parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, and Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala.
The party has replaced her with Siyabonga Gama, a former Transnet executive. The party has also added Andile Mgxitama as an alternative member to the team.
According to the Hawks, the charge against Mokoena-Zondi stems from allegations that between August 2024 and December 2024, she recruited four individuals into the party as researchers and subsequently demanded that they pay over large portions of their salaries under the guise of contributing towards party president Jacob Zuma’s legal fees.
Zuma continues to face prosecution in his long-running arms deal case in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Division of the High Court in Pietermaritzburg. She was released on R30 000 bail and the case has been transferred to the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court where she is expected to appear on June 18.
MK Party Secretary General, Sibonelo Nomvalo, said the party is actively enforced consequence management against members accused of misconduct.- Lehlohonolo Lehana.
3 HELD IN MASSIVE DRUG BUST
The Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Dr Michael Masiapato, has commended border guards and law enforcement agencies following the successful interception of a massive drug consignment with an estimated street value of approximately R998.2 million at the Beitbridge Port of Entry.
During a stop and search operation, the border guards intercepted a truck travelling from Malawi into South Africa. The truck was subjected to a non-intrusive inspection through the cargo scanner, during which suspicious substances were detected. This prompted officials to conduct an extensive physical search of the truck, which lasted approximately eight hours. During the operation, officials discovered a substance identified as methaqualone (ABBA), commonly used in the manufacturing of Mandrax.
The authorities confirmed that the truck was loaded with approximately 713 000 grams of the substance. The estimated street value of the consignment is R998 200 000.
Three suspects were arrested during the operation and were currently detained at the Musina Police Station. They are expected to appear in court soon on charges relating to drug trafficking and contravention of South African laws.
Investigations were currently underway to determine the intended destination of the substance and whether the syndicate forms part of a broader transnational criminal network operating within the region or globally. – SAnews
STATE QUERIES MOGOTSI’S ADDRESS
The Johannesburg Magistrate Court has reserved judgement in the bail application of the political fixer and controversial figure, Oupa Brown Mogotsi. Mogotsi will know his fate on June 4 when the magistrate gives her ruling. He faces charges of perjury, defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and discharging a firearm in a public place.
The charges relate to allegations that he staged his own assassination attempt in Vosloorus, East of Johannesburg in November, 2025.
During this week’s proceedings, State prosecutor, Thami Mpekane, read a supplementary affidavit by the investigating officer which reiterated that Mogotsi’s residential address could not be confirmed. “A pin location was supplied as per the applicant’s supplemental statement placed before the court. At the pin location of the left-hand side, I found a residential address. There was no street number displayed at the house.
“I approached the house and found a female at the residence and introduced myself. She introduced herself as Dorothy Ledwaba. I confirmed that she is the same person who supplied the affidavit relating to the applicant’s residential status.
‘’As I could not establish the street number of the property, I asked Ledwaba if she knows what the number of the property is. She immediately told me that the number is 4544. This does not correspond with the house number in the affidavit.” – Lehlohonolo Lehana
R2 BILLION BOOST FOR SCHOOL FUNDING
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury has secured a R2 billion advance from National Treasury to assist the provincial Department of Education in meeting its critical obligation of transferring norms and standards funding to schools across the province.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Francois Rodgers, said the intervention demonstrated government’s unwavering commitment to protecting educational service delivery despite ongoing fiscal pressures.
“Through collaboration with National Treasury and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, we have ensured that schools will receive the financial support required, with every rand directed towards supporting our learners.”
The advance funding comes amid provincial cash flow constraints and is intended to prevent disruptions to payments owed to schools. Rodgers acknowledged that the provincial fiscus remained under pressure but said the front-loaded allocation would provide some immediate relief to the education sector.
“National Treasury has indicated that the funds are earmarked for norms and standards transfers to schools.
Priority is to be given to settling historic debt due to funding limitations. KwaZulu-Natal Treasury will continue to work towards ensuring financial stability to protect the future of our children and the province.”
Norms and standards funding was critical for the day-to-day operations of schools, including the procurement of learning materials, payment of municipal services, maintenance and other essential operational needs.
The intervention reflected ongoing collaboration between Provincial Treasury, National Treasury and the Department of Education to safeguard educational service delivery and financial support for schools across KwaZulu-Natal. – SAnews
