Flood-ridden Western Cape residents urged to avoid dams, low-lying areas
The Department of Water and Sanitation has urged residents affected by the heavy rains in the Western Cape to steer clear of dams and low-lying areas to avoid being carried away by floodwaters.
Six of the province's largest dams reached 90% capacity after days of torrential downpours.
"We appeal to members of the public, particularly those residing in freight planes and close to rivers, dams and streams as well as wetlands, to be vigilant during this period and to exercise extra care to avoid instances of harm and drowning," says spokesperson Wisane Mavasa.
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The South African Weather Service has issued another warning for heavy rains this week.
The Western Cape government says it's still assessing the cost of damage.
The floods have claimed two people's lives and left many homeless.
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Disaster Management's Colin Deiner says agricultural infrastructure was severely affected.
"That estimation is for the agricultural component only, the others have not been confirmed yet. We still have to do quite a lot of assessments before we can see what the rest of the costs are, for the agricultural component, preliminary estimates are between R750 million and R1 billion."
