Residents in Dassenberg, Riverlands and Chatsworth near Malmesbury were left homeless after their homes were flooded when two retention dams in the area burst in the early hours of Thursday, 8 August 2024. The dams are located within the municipal borders of the City of Cape Town.
According to Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, who was on site after receiving calls about the flooding, the dam located on the property known as Dassenberg breached and resulted in severe flooding to parts of Riverlands, Chatsworth and Dassenberg.
Gift of the Givers was called by the Swartland Municipality and local disaster management team in the early hours of the morning to provide assistance in evacuating people and supplying humanitarian aid.
“We found out that it was two retention dams that had burst, destroying a number of houses along the way. It is total destruction currently, roads have been washed away, people have lost absolutely everything,” Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said.
The organisation has set up a base at Riverlands Primary School, where it will provide humanitarian relief to the affected communities for the next few days.
“There is no electricity, no plain drinking water; it is total damage on the ground. Our team will be here to assist the areas of Dassenberg, Riverlands, and Chatsworth with hot meals, blankets and baby care packs,” Sablay said.
The West Coast Disaster Management is on site as well as Disaster Management teams from the Swartland Municipality, including fire and rescue and law enforcement services. No fatalities or missing persons have been reported.
“Victims have been treated for near-drowning and 14 people have been transported to nearby hospitals for observation and further treatment. At this moment, no fatalities or missing persons have been reported,” Bredell’s spokesperson, Wouter Kriel, said.
More rainfall predicted
Gift of the Givers helps residents in the Riverlands community after two retention dams in the area burst, flooding homes and washing away roads. (Photo: Gift of the Givers)
Gift of the Givers is on site to help residents in Dassenberg, Riverlands and Chatsworth near Malmesbury who were affected by the flooding caused by the collapse of two retention dams. (Photo: Gift of the Givers)
Residents have been urged to stay safe and remain vigilant, as the South African Weather Service has predicted more rainfall for the coming weekend.
Heinrich Robertson, communications manager for West Coast District Municipality, said it will take a few days to clear the affected areas.
Leon Basson, chairperson of Parliament’s water and sanitation portfolio committee, has called for the Department of Water and Sanitation to monitor the situation to ensure safety of residents.
“The collapse of the Riverlands dam wall is symptomatic of shortcomings regarding dam safety across the board. It is necessary for the Department of Water and Sanitation to enhance their monitoring capabilities to ensure adequate safety standards for its own dams and enhance monitoring of private dams to ensure that the safety of people downstream is not threatened,” Basson said.
The investigation is still ongoing to determine the cause of the disaster and to determine if other dams in the area are safe. DM
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