Significant progress made in disaster response as Western Cape shifts focus to long-term recovery

Premier Alan Winde and members of his Cabinet today provided an update on the Western Cape Government’s ongoing response to the severe weather disasters that have affected the province and the assessment of the damage.

Premier Winde has welcomed the progress made so far, while emphasising that significant recovery and reconstruction work still lies ahead.

"In an extreme weather event like this, our immediate reactions are always about saving lives. We have now turned our attention to the recovery efforts. Since the devastating storms struck our province, all spheres of government, municipalities, emergency services, and our partners have worked tirelessly to restore access to affected communities and critical infrastructure. Through these coordinated interventions, about 70% of the roads that were closed have since been reopened in some form, restoring vital connectivity for residents, businesses and emergency services," said the Premier.

While emergency access has largely been restored, extensive damage to road infrastructure remains a major challenge.

Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, said, "Many roads, bridges and related structures have sustained significant damage and will require major repairs or, in some cases, complete reconstruction. These are complex projects that require detailed assessments, engineering investigations and design work before construction can commence."

To support longer-term recovery efforts, the Western Cape Government has identified 19 emergency provincial road repair projects at critical locations across the province. Contractors have already been mobilised, and work has commenced on a number of these priority projects.

Premier Winde noted that recovery work will be prioritised and implemented in a phased manner, subject to the availability of funding.

Provincial Minister of Finance, Deidré Baartman, stated, “The Western Cape Government made provisions for disasters in its 2026 Budget by allocating funding to its Unforeseen and Unavoidable Reserve. Provincial Treasury will now table a submission before the provincial Cabinet to reserve R100 million from this reserve for the current financial year, to address some of the most urgent infrastructure repairs. All departments have been allowed to reprioritise within their existing budgets and to use disaster procurement mechanisms to expedite procurement in response to the disaster and related maintenance needs. Provincial Treasury will also work with the relevant departments, in line with our Alternative and Blended Finance Framework, to accelerate the delivery of our road infrastructure portfolio. We will continue to engage national government to reform the disaster funding process, as the current system is lengthy and largely retrospective. In addition, we will advocate for the consideration of self-insurance within affected sectors, such as agriculture, alongside appropriate insurance-linked products for residents. While government can respond to public infrastructure losses, the impact on the private sector is equally significant.”

The cost of the damage caused by the storms currently stands at over R9 billion.

"We are focused on restoring infrastructure as quickly and safely as possible, but the scale of the damage means that recovery will take time. Our approach is to prioritise the most critical routes and infrastructure while ensuring that all work is properly planned and executed to build greater resilience against future disasters," continued the Premier.

The Premier also highlighted ongoing efforts to restore electricity supply. In daily briefings with Eskom Western Cape management, the Premier and members of the provincial Cabinet have been informed that 97% of residents who were left without electricity due to the adverse weather have now been reconnected, with restoration operations being intensified across affected regions.

The Western Cape Government has further supported response and recovery operations through the provision of plant and equipment to assist with access restoration and infrastructure repair efforts.

Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said, “We cannot ignore the impact of climate change in our province. To recover properly from and avoid disasters in the future, a business-as-usual approach’ will not work and indeed is likely to erode our development progress. Together we need to find adaptive strategies that minimise risks and enhance benefits to people and the economy.”

Premier Winde concluded, "We remain committed to working closely with municipalities, Eskom, national government and all stakeholders to ensure that affected communities receive the support they need. While considerable progress has been made, we recognise that many residents continue to face hardship, and we will continue driving recovery efforts with urgency."

To watch a recording of the briefing visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/mD66kyuNHz4?feature=shared