Province pushes ahead with flood recovery

OUDTSHOORN NEWS - The Western Cape Government has reaffirmed its commitment to restoring the critical road infrastructure damaged during the recent floods, saying that projects such as the rehabilitation of Meiringspoort, the Swartberg Pass and the upgrades in Beaufort West are essential to the region's economy and the delivery of basic services.

Premier Alan Winde spent two days, 16 and 17 July, visiting some damaged infrastructure across the province, including Meiringspoort, the Swartberg Pass and the Smalblaar Bridge near Rawsonville.

The visits formed part of an ongoing oversight of recovery projects following the severe weather that had caused widespread damage to roads and bridges across the Western Cape.

According to Winde, the recent floods were unprecedented, affecting hundreds of thousands of people and damaging road infrastructure across the province. "The Western Cape road network connects communities, businesses and families, driving growth and jobs in every town and city," he said.

He thanked the officials and contractors working on the restoration projects, saying that while much work remains, progress is being made.

Meiringspoort restoration

One of the province's top priorities remains the reopening of Meiringspoort, a key route linking the Little and Great Karoo.

The floods damaged all 20 river crossings through the pass, while four major sections of the road were completely washed away. Permanent restoration is expected to take at least two years and cost hundreds of millions of rand.

Emergency procurement processes began as soon as the conditions allowed, and the contractors started working at the end of June.

The Western Cape Government aims to have a temporary access route in place by December, provided the weather conditions remain favourable. Once reopened, the route will operate under strict access control while permanent reconstruction continues.

Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers said teams have already started clearing the debris from the De Rust side of the pass, and similar work is expected to begin from the Klaarstroom side any day now.

"The Western Cape Government understands that circumstances for residents and local businesses are extremely difficult. That is why we are doing everything we can to restore access through temporary works while permanent restoration continues," he said.

Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell said the project aims to balance engineering requirements with the environmental and heritage value of the iconic route.

Following the site visit, Winde met with several residents in Klaarstroom to provide an update on the restoration programme and answer their questions about the project. He later visited the Swartberg Pass, which had reopened in June after emergency repairs, where he received a progress briefing and met with the residents affected by the floods.

Winde also reminded motorists that heavy vehicles, including trucks and semi-trailers, are prohibited in the Swartberg Pass. Drivers should instead make use of alternative routes through Laingsburg or Willowmore.

Beaufort West water security

During a separate oversight visit on Friday, Bredell visited Beaufort West Municipality to assess the progress on the projects aimed at improving water security and municipal service delivery.

The Department of Local Government has allocated R2.6m to restore three vandalised municipal boreholes to strengthen the town's water supply.

Additional funding includes R500 000 for leak detection equipment, R795 000 for water demand management initiatives and water meter installations, and R100 000 for plumbing training to improve local technical capacity.

Bredell said water security remains one of the biggest challenges facing municipalities, particularly in water-scarce regions such as the Central Karoo. "Every litre of water saved through better infrastructure, leak detection and improved management strengthens the municipality's resilience and protects this critical resource for future generations," he said.

The minister also inspected the progress on an R8.7m multipurpose sports facility at Rustdene Sports Ground and the first phase of an R11.5m road upgrade project in the Hillside 2 residential area.

He said the Western Cape Government would continue working with the Beaufort West Municipality to improve infrastructure, strengthen institutional capacity and ensure residents receive reliable basic services.

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