Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said that R9 billion is required to repair the damage caused by the severe weather that hit the province in May 2026.
On Thursday, Winde chaired a provincial cabinet meeting to discuss the magnitude of major weather events that occurred in a short period of time, which claimed the lives of many, severely damaged infrastructure and significantly disrupted the lives of those who live in the affected communities.
Impact of severe weather conditions
The meeting noted that the damage sustained as a result of the severe weather will have a significant impact on the provincial and broader economy.
It also pointed out that the overall cost of damage at this stage is R9 099 211 941.
Winde said that the province has had to endure many disasters in recent years.
“But the last two weather events were the worst in recent memory.
“While our government and other stakeholders have been working incredibly hard in responding to this disaster, we have a lot of hard work still ahead of us,” he added.
Damage
The province’s agriculture sector sustained damages of more than R5.2 billion, while the cost of damaged transport infrastructure is currently just under R2 billion.
The Western Cape cabinet noted that Eskom is making progress, with 95% of affected areas having electricity reconnected.
However, many residents in the hardest hit regions still remain without power.
Affected communities
The overall impact on communities in the Western Cape have been vast:
- 231 029 people were affected
- 22 890 houses were damaged
- Over 230 roads were affected, as many roads and other infrastructure sustained significant damage that requires repairs and reconstruction
- 11 fatalities were reported, with one person still missing
Costs of damage exceeds budget
“Incredibly difficult decisions will have to be made going forward,” Winde noted
The scale of the damage exceeds the budgets and delivery capacity of provincial departments, making additional funding from the national government necessary.
“National government will not be able to provide us with all the necessary funding,” he added.
“The Western Cape government’s budget will have to be reprioritised to fund damage repairs.”
He emphasised the vital importance of rebuilding stronger infrastructure, in anticipation of future climate-related disasters, which will cost more.
“We must, therefore, impress upon national government and other entities the need to budget differently to adequately respond to the impact of such disasters,” he said.
