Residents of Kayamandi in Stellenbosch are picking up the pieces after heavy weekend rains destroyed homes, leaving many without shelter, food or basic belongings.
Among those affected was Simnikiwe Nkohla, who now has nowhere to stay after his shack was completely washed away on 19 April. “But ngoku andizazi ukuba ndizawuthini ngoku. Oko kwayizolo ndihambe ndilala emizini, oko kwayizolo cos andinandawo [I do not know what I will do now. Since yesterday I have been sleeping in different homes because I do not have a place],” said Nkohla.
Simnikiwe Nkohla looks at where his home once stood on 20 April before the weekend floods hit Kayamandi. PHOTO: Amahle Thabethe
In the aftermath of the storm, scenes across the settlement showed collapsed structures, waterlogged belongings and residents salvaging the little they could. Some families were seeking temporary shelter with neighbours, while others were gathering the leftover material and rebuilding their homes.
Residents assist one another to rebuild their houses in Kayamandi after severe flooding destroyed their homes. PHOTO: Amahle Thabethe
Many of the affected homes, built from wood and corrugated iron, were unable to withstand the intensity of the rainfall. Poor drainage in parts of the area worsened the flooding, which caused the water to flow directly into homes and washed away entire structures. For residents, the damage was not only physical but deeply disruptive, stripping them of stability and basic security.
A bridge destroyed by the heavy rainfall in Kayamandi. PHOTO: Amahle Thabethe
Another resident, Thembile Langa, felt defeated, as the floods also hit him hard. “So endlini yam’ kungene amanzi kuyanetha, kwangena amanzi ngaphantsi, angena phezulu because lityotyombe. Andina nto endingayenza [So in my house, water entered, the water entered at the bottom, it entered from the top because it is a shack. There is nothing I can do],” Langa said.
Local leadership said the scale of the damage placed significant pressure on the already scarce resources. Ayanda Tomose, ward councillor, said they acted as soon as they could to help the affected residents. “When there is an incident in your area, you would notify stakeholders […] we have direct contact with Gift of the Givers, so it is a collective effort to notify all the stakeholders we have.”
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers was on the ground providing relief, distributing food, blankets and basic toiletries to affected residents. Musa Williams, a representative of the organisation, said their immediate focus is on ensuring that those most affected have access to essential supplies. “The only estimate was 150 and we work according to the numbers. If the councillor says 150, we bring 150,” Williams said.
Tomose also said being on the ground during the rain was of utmost importance. “Last night we were here while it was raining and we saw what happened. Then I gave an instruction to street committees and ward committees to write [down the names of] those that were affected, so that’s the list we have now,” he said.
Grace Naku, a ward committee member, described the situation as urgent, noting that multiple households had been affected and required immediate assistance. “Le nto iyaqhubeka ngeminyaka, it’s not something new. Uncedo silifune time and again but kunzima ukulifumana [This happens every year, it is not something new. We have asked for help time and again, but it is hard to find],” Naku said. She also said that any help and donations would be appreciated.
Many residents line up for relief packages from Gift of the Givers, but not all of them were able to receive help. PHOTO: Amahle Thabethe
Gift of the Givers dish up food for the influx of residents that are in need of a meal for the day. PHOTO: Amahle Thabethe
This is the second blow the Kayamandi community has been dealt in the past month, after having recently been affected by a fire. The Stellenbosch Municipality confirmed that the department of home affairs acted quickly to help those affected apply for new identity documents.