On Thursday, 11 June 2026, Premier Alan Winde chaired a Special Western Cape Government Cabinet meeting to deliberate on the magnitude and cost of impact of the severe weather systems that affected the entire province in May 2026.
Major consecutive weather events occurred in a short space of time, causing loss of life, severely damaging infrastructure and significantly disrupting the lives of communities across the affected areas.
“Our province has had to endure many disasters. 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,” the Premier said in his opening remarks.
Cabinet noted that the damage sustained as a result of the weather incidents was severe and will have a significant impact on the provincial and broader economy.
Cabinet noted that the overall cost of the damage at this stage is R9 099 211 941. The province’s agriculture sector sustained damages of more than R5.2 billion, while damage to transport infrastructure currently stands at just under R2 billion.
These are preliminary and unverified figures.
While Eskom’s electricity restoration efforts are making progress, with 95% of affected areas reconnected, many residents in the hardest hit regions are still without power. Cabinet apologised to affected communities for the significant inconvenience caused by the severe weather.
The overall impact on communities has been vast:
-231 029 people were affected in one way or another
-22 890 houses were damaged
-Over 230 roads were affected: many roads and other infrastructure sustained significant damage requiring repairs and reconstruction.
-11 fatalities were reported, with one person still missing
The scale of the damage exceeds provincial departments’ budgets and delivery capacity. Additional funding will have to be sought from national government.
The Premier stated, “Incredibly difficult decisions will have to be made going forward. National government will not be able to provide us with all the necessary funding. The Western Cape Government’s budget will have to be reprioritised to fund damage repairs. What is vitally important is that we must build back stronger, in anticipation of future climate-related disasters and this 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.”
The following process is now being undertaken:
-The Western Cape Department of Local Department is coordinating a consolidated submission to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and National Disaster Management Centre
-The provincial Minister of Local Government is corresponding with his national counterpart
-The Premier will correspond with the President
-Impacted provincial Departments are corresponding with their national counterparts
Major consecutive weather events occurred in a short space of time, causing loss of life, severely damaging infrastructure and significantly disrupting the lives of communities across the affected areas.
“Our province has had to endure many disasters. 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,” the Premier said in his opening remarks.
Cabinet noted that the damage sustained as a result of the weather incidents was severe and will have a significant impact on the provincial and broader economy.
Cabinet noted that the overall cost of the damage at this stage is R9 099 211 941. The province’s agriculture sector sustained damages of more than R5.2 billion, while damage to transport infrastructure currently stands at just under R2 billion.
These are preliminary and unverified figures.
While Eskom’s electricity restoration efforts are making progress, with 95% of affected areas reconnected, many residents in the hardest hit regions are still without power. Cabinet apologised to affected communities for the significant inconvenience caused by the severe weather.
The overall impact on communities has been vast:
-231 029 people were affected in one way or another
-22 890 houses were damaged
-Over 230 roads were affected: many roads and other infrastructure sustained significant damage requiring repairs and reconstruction.
-11 fatalities were reported, with one person still missing
The scale of the damage exceeds provincial departments’ budgets and delivery capacity. Additional funding will have to be sought from national government.
The Premier stated, “Incredibly difficult decisions will have to be made going forward. National government will not be able to provide us with all the necessary funding. The Western Cape Government’s budget will have to be reprioritised to fund damage repairs. What is vitally important is that we must build back stronger, in anticipation of future climate-related disasters and this 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.”
The following process is now being undertaken:
-The Western Cape Department of Local Department is coordinating a consolidated submission to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and National Disaster Management Centre
-The provincial Minister of Local Government is corresponding with his national counterpart
-The Premier will correspond with the President
-Impacted provincial Departments are corresponding with their national counterparts