Worcester flood victims say dam opening worsened flooding, leaving homes submerged

It felt like history was repeating itself when Gugu Denene and her children found themselves trapped inside a shack rapidly filling with water in the Emagwaleni and Mandela informal settlements in Worcester in the Western Cape on Tuesday.

Just months after surviving the deadly Mthatha floods in the Eastern Cape that claimed more than 100 lives, Denene once again had to flee through raging floodwaters in darkness with her children, fearing they would not make it out alive.

Residents of the Emagwaleni informal settlement say they were forced to run for their lives through chest-high water after a nearby farmer allegedly opened a dam during severe weather conditions, flooding homes and leaving hundreds displaced.

The incident unfolded as Worcester was among the areas affected by level 8 weather warnings issued for the province from Sunday.

For Denene, the terrifying scenes brought back painful memories she had hoped never to relive.

Only last year, she moved to the Western Cape after surviving the devastating floods in Mthatha that left scores homeless.

On Tuesday night, she again found herself trapped in rising floodwaters with her children, desperately trying to escape.

“It felt like history was repeating itself,” said Denene.

“On Tuesday morning, strong winds blew off my roof, but we managed to fix it. By 4pm, the farmer, who is known as Hari, announced that he was preparing to open the dam and that people should leave. But leave to where? I honestly didn’t know,” she said.

She said within hours, water came gushing from the direction of the dam.

“By 8pm, the roads were completely flooded, and people’s homes were slowly being swallowed by the water. The water inside my shack reached my chest. It was the same thing that happened in Mthatha,” she said.

“My 14-year-old child came out wearing only underwear. We managed to escape, but the water current was very strong.”

I ran home to warn my mother, who was with my two younger siblings. By then, the water was already knee-deep and still rising. We managed to get out safely, but we lost almost everything. Our furniture and belongings are destroyed.

—   Reabetswe Letsea, resident

Denene said amid the chaos she could hear her 10-year-old niece screaming for help.

“Luckily, there were men using ropes to pull people to safety. That is how we survived the ordeal,” she said.

Seven months pregnant, Reabetswe Letsea, 17, said residents had already been dealing with destruction caused by strong winds before the flooding began.

“We were helping people whose shacks had been damaged by the winds when we suddenly saw water coming from the direction of the dam,” she said.

“I ran home to warn my mother, who was with my two younger siblings. By then, the water was already knee-deep and still rising. We managed to get out safely, but we lost almost everything. Our furniture and belongings are destroyed.”

Yvonne Skomolo, 36, said residents were caught off guard as floodwaters rapidly filled the area.

“People were shouting that we must leave because Hari had opened the dam, but by then the roads were already flooded and difficult to pass,” she said.

“The water has even damaged graves at the cemetery.”

Hundreds of affected residents have since been accommodated at a local community hall, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing when they fled their homes.

Ward councillor Thandiwe Williams said residents had repeatedly raised concerns about the dam and flooding risks with authorities.

“Usually, the farmer opens the side of the dam that allows the water to flow into the nearby river,” she said.

“However, this time the water flowed towards people’s homes.”

Williams said the flooding also affected the nearby R60 road, forcing authorities to close the route.

“People have been evacuated to the community hall, but conditions are difficult. Many do not even have blankets,” she said.

She said the most frustrating part is that no one from the municipality was available to assist the community members.

“We raised these concerns with the municipality earlier, but we haven’t seen any action. When residents were told to leave, where exactly were they expected to go?”

The Sunday Times contacted the person who allegedly announced the opening of the dam, but he denied owning a dam and refused to share the farmer’s contact details.

However, the Breede Valley Municipality confirmed it was aware of the opening of the dam.

Municipal spokesperson Jabu Basani said heavy rainfall often caused dams to fill up, requiring spillways to be opened in line with regulations, which could affect nearby informal settlements.

“In cases such as these, we knew about the level 8 weather warning. We anticipated heavy rain and tried to evacuate people on Monday because we knew what to expect,” he said.

Asked about long-term plans for the area, Basani said the municipality was working on two housing projects, including the formalisation of Emagwaleni through the Housing Development Agency.

“The agency has already conducted a feasibility study in the area and identified families who will benefit from the project,” he said.

“At the moment, there are no proper roads in that area, which makes it difficult for emergency services to access residents. The aim is to formalise the area because many shacks are built on a floodline. We have already kick-started the process.”

Basani said displaced residents were currently being housed in local community halls and that humanitarian organisations had arrived on Wednesday to provide food, water and clothing.

“Currently, our priority is to save lives. Thereafter, the focus will shift to assisting those who have lost their homes,” he said.