Premier Alan Winde has concluded a comprehensive 4-day assessment of some of the areas of the Western Cape hardest hit by the severe weather earlier this month.
“The scale of the devastation is immense. Despite this, our officials are hard at work repairing damaged infrastructure as quickly as possible. There has been steady progress. The Vredendal Bridge has been reopened to one-traffic, far ahead of schedule. A huge thank you to all those involved in this project and the many others underway across the province for your commitment and hard work,” said Premier Winde.
Through the course of the assessment visits, the Premier was joined by several Western Cape Government Ministers, disaster management officials, Mayors, Municipal Managers, and representatives of NGOs.
The delegation visited the following towns and sites:
- Malmesbury
- Klawer Bridge
- Vredendal Bridge
- Clanwilliam Dam
- Citrusdal
- Algeria
- Piketberg
- Gouda
- Op-Die-Berg
- Ceres
- Rawsonville
- Worcester
- McGregor Bridge
- Red Bridge
Electricity restoration remains a key focus. The Premier chairs daily meetings with Eskom Western Cape leadership where he receives updates. As of 28 May 2026, Eskom has indicated 84% of affected communities have been reconnected.
The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré, has attended the daily briefings and has assured the provincial government of regular public updates. Eskom has been providing daily updates to the public via social media and other communication channels.
As of 28 May 2026, the estimated time of restoration for affected areas are as follows:
Cape Winelands:
- Hexrivier and Villiersdorp – 29 May 2026
- Chavonnes farms and Badsberg farms – 5 June 2026
- Boskloof and Romansrivier – 26 June 2026
Garden Route:
- Gouna – 31 May 2026
- Herbertsdale/Jakkeslvlei – 10 June 2026
- Askop, Buffelsnek, Brackenhill, Fisanthoek, Harkerville, Klein Bavaria – 25 June 2026
- Garden of Eden – 25 July 2026
Overberg:
- Hemel-en-Aarde, Riviersonderend farms, Papiesvlei, Stanford farms – 29 May 2026
- Buffelsjagsrivier – 5 June 2026
West Coast:
- Algeria, Citrusdal farms, Du Pont – 5 June 2026
- Noordhoek farms – 12 June 2026
The Premier stated, “We fully appreciate and understand the frustrations of residents who have had to endure extended periods of power outages. We apologise for any inconvenience and will always endeavour to keep affected communities abreast of developments as we receive updates from Eskom and other stakeholders. We know that this is a frustrating and unbearable situation.”
While the devastation is vast, it is the stories of hope and collaboration that keep the Western Cape Government moving forward. “I met with several of our healthcare workers in the Op-Die-Berg area who were left stranded by the heavy rain and flooding. Officials at a local school, Skurweberg Senior Secondary, thought nothing of giving them shelter and food, as they waited for the worst of the weather to pass. I am also blown away by how residents, business owners and farmers have stepped in to help. Whether it is offering equipment to assist Eskom teams or feeding disaster management officials and those most in need, this is what makes the Western Cape the extraordinary region that it is,” he continued.
Provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, added, “Joining Premier Winde across the West Coast and Cape Winelands have shown both the immense scale of infrastructure damage and the incredible resilience of our teams. Our absolute priority remains safely reconnecting communities, and we are pushing hard to meet critical targets. The McGregor Bridge will be repaired by early June as rock fill and asphalt layers wrap up. Meanwhile, structural assessments are underway at the Klawer Bridge to confirm a temporary pedestrian access date by 29 May, and slope stabilisation on the Cango Caves Road is progressing well, aiming for debris clearance by 5 June before final safety checks. I want to thank residents for their patience and urge all road users to obey road closures for their own safety as our teams work around the clock.”
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said, “While severe winter weather has always formed part of our regional climate; the growing intensity and frequency of these events are increasingly consistent with the global scientific consensus on climate change and the heightened risks associated with a warming planet. Witnessing the destruction across our province from these last storm events, the need for climate resilient planning and construction was made very clear. It is also very clear that only well-run and well capacitated municipalities can rise to the occasion to address these challenges.”
Western Cape Minister of Finance, Deidré Baartman, stated, “The extent of the damage to infrastructure and communities is significant, and the recovery process will require a coordinated response across all spheres of government. It will require every stakeholder to come to the table. The Western Cape Government will work with municipalities and the national government to ensure the necessary funding is mobilised to support the rebuild and recovery efforts.”
Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness added, “In times of crisis, the humanity of our communities shines through and puts on display the very best of the Western Cape. Healthcare workers, NGOs, community organisations and residents all came together to help keep services running and support one another during the severe weather conditions. Healthcare is a team effort, and we truly could not have done it without the support, compassion and resilience shown by so many people across our province.”
Provincial Minister of Education, David Maynier, commented, “We commend our principals, teachers, staff, and parents for their excellent response to the severe storms. With teaching and learning back up and running, the focus will shift to ensuring that learners can catch up the work missed during school closures.”
