As powerful winter storms lash Cape Town for the third year in a row, residents in low-lying parts of Hout Bay say they are once again bearing the brunt of neglect, poor infrastructure and broken promises.
For Deidré Strauss, a long-time resident of Hilda Up, the sound of rain no longer brings comfort ,only dread.
“This week the water came in again,” she said, standing in the sodden remains of her living room.
“I was sweeping for hours, trying to save what I could. My furniture is ruined, my appliances are wet and all the switches in my house are soaked. It’s not just water anymore ,it’s sewage too.”
Strauss says this is the third consecutive year that her home has flooded severely , and that it keeps getting worse.
“I’m sick. I suffer from asthma, bone-marrow cancer, osteoporosis, and I’ve had knee replacements. I cannot live like this.”
Her street, once a sand road that posed no problem, was paved in recent years. But Strauss says since the roadworks began, water has been pouring straight into her home.
“The City hired a contractor and started building a road behind our houses. They promised us drainage solutions, but all they did was stack sandbags.”
“When we asked questions, the City kept blaming the engineer. Nothing lasting was ever done.”
‘no help, no visit, no follow-up’
Strauss says she’s tried everything to get help , but has been left to deal with the crisis alone.
“I’ve sent pictures to the ward councillor. The only response I got was:
‘Hi there. Please report this to Disaster Risk Management on 021 480 7700. They will come out to assess.’
That was it. No visit. No follow-up. I haven’t seen our ward councillor in four years.”
The councillor in question is Rob Quintas, who also serves as the Mayco Member for Urban Mobility. Strauss says he has never visited her street to witness the damage.
“I am so disappointed. I’m not asking for special treatment. I just want a safe place to live — not a flooded home filled with sewage water. The City is doing nothing for us.”
‘stop pretending we don’t exist’
Like many in Cape Town’s most vulnerable communities, Strauss is calling for more than just reactive measures.
“I want the City to stop pretending we don’t exist. Stop giving us excuses. The rain isn’t going to stop , so why are we expected to live like this year after year?”
With more rain and icy temperatures expected in the days ahead, residents like Strauss are bracing for further damage , and once again calling for urgent, lasting action.
“We are exhausted , emotionally, physically , and this is not just a disaster.
It’s neglect.”
People’s Post reached out to the City and Councillor Rob Quintas for comment. At the time of going to print,City said in an email they are looking into the inquiry.
