Media Release: Another intense cold front is expected to hit the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape and the Western Cape from Wednesday to Friday, 25 to 27 June 2025
For immediate release 23 June 2025
An intense cold front is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, over the south-western parts of South Africa, bringing a significant shift in weather conditions across the region. The system is expected to result in the following impacts:
For the public:
Heavy rainfall with a risk of localised flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas on Wednesday into Thursday (25-26 June 2025).
Wet and slippery roads may result in dangerous driving conditions. Motorists should exercise caution and adhere to safety measures.
Strong and gusty winds over the interior may cause localised damage to structures and uproot trees.
Cold to very cold conditions can be expected, along with possible snowfall over the western mountain ranges of the Western Cape, spreading into the south-western interior of the Northern Cape.
For Maritime:
Gale force winds and very rough seas, with wave heights between 5,5 to 7,5 metres, along the coastlines of the Northern Cape and Western Cape, will lead to disruptions to fishing and port operations, an increased risk of vessels capsizing, accidents at sea, and hazardous shoreline conditions. Coastal residents and beachgoers are urged to exercise caution.
As the system progresses eastwards, it will affect the Eastern Cape, a region already vulnerable to weather-related impacts. The key concern is the strong damaging winds expected across most parts of the province on Thursday, 26 June 2025.
Interior winds are expected to pick up and spread over the remainder of eastern provinces on Thursday and Friday, 26 and 27 June 2025, with daytime temperatures dropping to the cold category.
The South African Weather Service will continue to monitor any further developments relating to the weather systems and will issue subsequent updates as required. Furthermore, intermediate updates may be followed on X (@SAWeatherServic), Facebook (South African Weather Service) or other SAWS-supported social media platforms.
Compiled by: Tokelo Chiloane, Henning Grobler and Wayne Venter Edited by: Jacqueline Modika Approved by: Mr Rudzani Malala For technical and weather enquiries: National Forecasting Centre: Tel: 012 367 6041
Mediavrystelling: TDM hou voort om gemeenskappe in Klein-Karoo tydens waterkrisis te help
Vir onmiddellike vrystelling
10 Maart 2025
Die Tuinroete Distriksmunisipaliteit (TDM) het verlede week voortgegaan om hulp te verleen aan die Oudtshoorn Munisipaliteit. Dit volg nadat dié plaaslike munisipaliteit dringend met die TDM moes skakel om ‘n ernstige waterskaarste-krisis in Dysselsdorp, De Rust en Blomnek aan te spreek.
Volgens die TDM se Rampbestuurhoof, Gerhard Otto, het die probleem ontstaan “nadat ‘n kabel beskadig is weens die onlangse kragonderbrekings.”
Tussen Dinsdag en Saterdag (8 Maart) het die Tegniese Dienste-afdeling van die Oudtshoorn Munisipaliteit vier foutiewe plekke op die hoof-elektrisiteitsvoerkabel geïdentifiseer en herstel om ‘n stabiele toevoer aan gemeenskappe te verseker. Hierdie kabel is noodsaaklik vir die voorsiening van elektrisiteit aan die waterpompe wat Dysselsdorp van huishoudelike water voorsien.
Die situasie is verder vererger deur Eskom se beurtkrag, wat dele van De Rust en Blomnek se krane droog gelaat het. In reaksie hierop het die TDM se Rampbestuursentrum en die GRDM Brandweerdiens daagliks ‘n 10 000-liter watertrok ontplooi, insluitend oor die afgelope naweek, om water aan die geaffekteerde gemeenskappe te voorsien.
Die herstelwerk aan die kragkabel is nou voltooi, en die waterpompe funksioneer op volle kapasiteit, wat beteken dat die reservoirs weer aangevul word. Dit bly egter noodsaaklik om die aanhoudende droogtetoestande in die Karoo in ag te neem, aangesien dit ‘n impak op watervoorsiening sal hê.
TDM Burgemeester Andrew Stroebel het beklemtoon: “Die TDM sal voortgaan om die Oudtshoorn Munisipaliteit tydens hierdie krisis te ondersteun en sal hulp verleen tot minstens Vrydag, wanneer verwag word dat die agterstand in waterlewering uitgesorteer sal wees.”
Die TDM doen ‘n dringende beroep op alle inwoners om spaarsamig met water om te gaan gedurende hierdie herstelperiode.
‘n Vorige mediavrystelling wat verband hou met die bogenoemde: https://tinyurl.com/4m3nsw7v
Water word afgelewer by dorpe insluitend Dysselsdorp, De rust en Blomnek
Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality Assists Vulnerable Communities in Disaster Recovery Efforts
12 February 2025
The Emergency Call Centre, a crucial component of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Disaster Management Centre (DMC), handles approximately 25,000 emergency calls per month. However, disaster management extends far beyond immediate incident response—it encompasses four key pillars:
Mitigation
Preparedness
Response
Recovery
Disaster management also includes planning and development, ensuring a proactive approach to both natural and human-made disasters. Beyond coordinating responses during major incidents, the DMC continuously works to enhance the district’s resilience against disaster risks.
DISASTER REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS
The GRDM DMC is responsible for facilitating local disaster declarations and motivating funding requests from both provincial and national governments for disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Currently, GRDM DMC is overseeing the implementation of several disaster rehabilitation projects, including:
2021/22 Flood Disaster Grants:
George: R237.5 million
Oudtshoorn: R26.6 million
2023 Storm Surge Disaster Grants:
Knysna: R2.6 million
Hessequa: R5.18 million
June 2024 Floods:
A disaster grant request of R115 million has been submitted to the National Disaster Management Centre and National Treasury and is currently pending approval.
RELIEF TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED
GRDM DMC plays a crucial role in ensuring that disaster-affected communities receive urgent assistance.
Emergency Water Relief – Gamka West (Calitzdorp) | 26 January 2024
After residents of Gamka West, who rely on the Klein Karoo Rural Water Supply Scheme, were left without water for over four days, GRDM DMC dispatched a water tanker from the Ladismith Fire Base to deliver several loads of water to affected families.
GRDM Firefighters recently assisted families after they were left without water from the Klein Karoo Rural Water Supply Scheme for four days.
Storm Damage Relief – Volmoed (Oudtshoorn) | 29 January 2024
Following heavy rain and gale-force winds, 32 households in Volmoed, outside Oudtshoorn, were left destitute. Responding to a request from the GRDM Deputy Mayor, GRDM DMC provided:
52 blankets to the Oudtshoorn Municipality for evacuated residents housed in a local church hall.
The Oudtshoorn Municipality also distributed 32 mattresses and 32 starter kits to affected families.
GRDM DMC facilitated additional support from the Gift of the Givers, who provided food relief to affected individuals the following day.
A property in Volmoed that was severely damaged after rain and gale-force winds.
STRENGTHENING WATER AND SANITATION SECURITY
Recognising the importance of water security, GRDM DMC is spearheading the development of a District Water and Sanitation Master Plan. This initiative focuses on identifying and implementing bulk water and sanitation projects across municipal boundaries to enhance water security for all residents in the district.
The GRDM is assisted by the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (WCEDP) to develop this Master Plan. The assistance of the company Partners in Performance (PiP) was subsequently obtained to develop this District Water and Sanitation Master Plan. At this point in time most of the technical information required, have been obtained from the current Water Services Authorities in the District. PiP is currently busy analysing this data.
The GRDM is working towards having a first draft available by the end of March this year.
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
The DMC also assists local municipalities in developing Disaster Risk Reduction Plans (DRR) ensuring alignment with local risk assessments.
It is important to remember that DRR should always be a holistic multi‐hazard/threat and multi‐stakeholder approach, and it should be mainstreamed into development projects to increase the resilience of the built environment.
DRR must be considered and where relevant implemented at the earliest appropriate stage of the design and planning process rather than added onto a project as an after‐thought. It is important to build back better, especially when opportunities arise in the aftermath of a disaster. Professional institutions can play a very positive role in educating students and members about their roles in disaster risk reduction.
DRR Plans vary for each local municipal area with the focus on addressing the following priority disaster risks in the District, namely flooding, fires – especially wildland fires, drought, coastal as well as river erosion, transportation incidents including Hazmat incidents as well as human and animal diseases .
Some of these plans include the following:
Flood hazard mapping linked to the Spatial Development Framework of each Local Municipality.
Emergency breaching of estuaries protocol and the pro-active management of low-lying flood prone areas.
Eradication of invasive alien plants.
Protection of riverbanks – especially in the Duiwenhoks River.
Establishment of integrated fire management protocols.
Public awareness campaigns.
District Safety Forum as well as establishment of Local safety Forums.
Building back better as an integral part of post disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.
When these plans are updated, they form part of spatial development frameworks. This ensures that that emerging disaster risks are factored into planning of town infrastructure.
Feature image: GRDM Firefighters recently assisted families after they were left without water from the Klein Karoo Rural Water Supply Scheme for four days.
Media Release: Millions Invested in Garden Route District Municipality’s Fire and Disaster Management Response Units by Western Cape Government
25 September 2024
Grant funding for capacity building to date has surpassed R15 million, provided by the Western Cape Provincial Government (WCG) Department of Local Government (DLG), Directorate Fire & Rescue and Disaster Management’s Fire Services, to the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM).
Fire Chief Deon Stoffels commented on the significance of the funding: “The purpose of the capacity building ensures that the GRDM’s emergency capacity, mobilization, response, and mitigation systems are of a standard that meets the region’s risks. This also ensures that the GRDM at a Local Government level builds enough capacity to assist with fire and disaster management responses across the region at local municipalities.”
Key projects to date, backed by Provincial funding, include:
Assistance of R3 million for the Regional Fire Station that was official unveiled on 2 February 2024;
In June 2024, a hook lift truck for flood and related response was delivered to the cost of R 2,5 million;
A fully equipped firefighting light duty vehicle to the value of R 981 000;
A mobile hazmat response unit to the value of R 500 000;
Ongoing roll-out of smoke detectors and the past year contribution were to the value of R 500 000;
A water delivery tanker was acquired, to the cost of R 1,2 million.
All the above projects have been concluded within the 2023/2024 financial year.
For the current and next financial year, further assistance in terms of grant funding is for an amount of R 7,2 million. This includes funding of R5 million to build a flood response unit, with various containerised equipment caches, including a hovercraft, an overhead housing facility. In addition, R 1 million will be made available for hazardous material equipment, mobile units. Lastly, one more water delivery truck worth R 1,2 million will be acquired to assist areas that are affected by water services issues.
These projects are implemented in line with relevant supply chain management procedures, and the recent handover marks the final step in meeting the objectives outlined in the various Business Plans and Transfer Payment Agreements.
Official Handover Ceremony held on 25 September 2024 at the GRDM Regional Fire Station
Deputy Director at WCG Fire Services said the Water Response Project is the first of its kind in the Western Cape, and we are proud to see its rollout along the Garden Route.
GRDM Municipal Manager, Mone Stratu, during his address said that with the growing impact of climate change, we are witnessing an alarming rise in disaster-related incidents, from floods to fires. This has driven an urgent need for more response units to protect our communities.
During the official handing over ceremony, the GRDM invited a Ettienne du Toit, the Western Cape Provincial Government Deputy Director for Fire Services to a handover ceremony of the assets the GRDM procured.
GRDM Municipal Manager Monde Stratu, during the ceremony, said: “It is only recently, due to climate change, that there has been an increased push for more response units. There has been an increase in disaster-related incidents . We see this every year as we face floods and fires. Stratu said that the GRDM Council appreciates the WCG efforts in providing the district with critical resources. “With our current budget constraints, we simply do not have the capacity to acquire these assets on our own, so your assistance is invaluable.”
The Municipal Manager also said the demand for the GRDM to assist local municipalities continues to grow – “being a fire-prone district, we need all the help we can get.”
“Thank you, Western Cape Government, for these life-saving contributions,” he concluded.
The mobile hazmat response unit contains several items that will make the GRDM’s response to various incidents more efficient.
A proud moment for Monde Stratu and Ettienne du Toit as they also present the smoke detectors that have been rolled out for more than a year along the region. They are standing in front of a firefighting light duty vehicle that was also paid for by Western Cape Government.
Fire Chief Deon Stoffels with Ettienne du Toit and Wouter Jacobs in front of the water delivery tanker.
Ettienne du Toit and Monde Stratu shakes hands and hands over the keys to the hook lift truck. Wouter Jacobs, GRDM Disaster Management Practitioner is pictured sitting inside the truck.
Ettienne du Toit, Deputy Director of Fire Services in the Western Cape, added:
“For the Western Cape Government, it’s an absolute pleasure to be involved here. We see this as a partnership—we all serve the same communities, and they trust us to help protect them. We must ensure we don’t disappoint them. The Western Cape has already faced eight disasters this calendar year, mostly involving floods, fires, and a significant electricity outage.” According to du Toit, the damage so far in the province is recorded at R9 billion, and the WCG has absorbed these costs.
“We must safeguard our emergency response resources, particularly as the province faces financial challenges that have led to job cuts.
The Water Response Project is the first of its kind in the Western Cape, and we are proud to see its rollout here at the Garden Route district. Given the increasing frequency of floods and fires, this investment is crucial. The water tankers are designed for humanitarian assistance, while the large vehicles aid in lifting containers. The plan is to expand this, not just for water but for hazmat, humanitarian, and chemical incidents.
“There’s a growing need for heavy-duty vehicles, and the goal is to ensure every town in the Western Cape is equipped with a well-resourced hazmat capability. As informal settlements continue to grow, so too does the risk of fire fatalities. For over eight years, we’ve been working to install smoke alarms in these areas, but there’s still much more to be done. It’s encouraging to see the development of the fire station and the fitness of the firefighters, and we look forward to seeing this partnership continue to grow. It is a pleasure to hand over these resources to you,” concluded du Toit.
