Not only have some service departments been inundated with requests from the public – most notably a record 1 155 requests related to fallen trees and branches between 10 and 12 May – but some community facilities too have sustained impacts and work is under way to address the damage.
Despite the severity of the weather conditions, our Recreation and Parks teams were fully activated ahead of the storms and have been working around the clock to respond to incidents, clear hazards and restore services as quickly and safely as possible.
Fallen trees and related debris featured prominently among reported incidents, with the City’s Recreation and Parks Department receiving more than 1 000 service requests between Sunday, 10 May and midday on Tuesday, 12 May. Additional storm-related requests have since brought the total number of tree-related service requests to 1 764.
The department conducts proactive maintenance in the lead up to winter, and then has teams on standby on a 24-hour basis during the season to respond to tree emergencies, using chainsaws, trimmers, cherry pickers and other specialised equipment to clear trees from roadways or impacted infrastructure.
‘The number of service requests is unprecedented and points to just how severe the weather has been in recent days. I commend the teams for their hard work, despite the challenging circumstances. They’ve had to prioritise the requests based on the level of impact, like blocking roadways or properties, and I ask the public to please be patient as the teams make their way through the very lengthy list of tasks,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham.
The public is reminded to refrain from trimming or removing City-owned trees themselves, as this contravenes relevant by-laws.
Residents can submit general tree maintenance requests via the following channels:
- Online at www.capetown.gov.za
- Telephonically on 0860 103 089
- Email [email protected] or [email protected]
- Via the City of Cape Town app, available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
Recreation and Parks staff are also conducting assessments at cemeteries to check for, and address weather-related impacts.
Cemeteries are prone to localised flooding and falling trees during conditions as the ones experienced in recent days.
‘We are also conducting assessments of all facilities within our Community Services and Health Directorate and will work to repair any damage as soon as possible to reduce the impact on our facility users and communities at large,’ added Councillor Higham.
Affected community facilities
Several City Health and Library facilities experienced network connectivity issues and power outages, as well as leaking roofs and some infrastructural damage.
At Elsies River Clinic, side panels of the TB section were blown off by strong winds, and Gugulethu Clinic reported fallen tree branches – they were however able to continue operating.
Sir Lowry’s Pass Clinic was closed on Monday, 11 May after a section of the roof collapsed – operations resumed on Wednesday, 13 May.
Weltevreden Clinic too was closed due to localised flooding – it has since reopened, and so too the Diep River clinic which was closed for one day due to a power outage and fallen trees restricting access to the facility.
Several libraries were also affected by area power outages, while trees were uprooted at Milnerton and Fish Hoek libraries; however, Harare Library was the only facility forced into a temporary closure by flooding – it has since reopened.
Some libraries continue to operate with limited services while they await the reinstatement of electricity.
We thank residents for their patience as we continue to bring services back online.
Captions: Recreation and Parks teams dealt with a record number of tree requests
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
