Day: June 25, 2026

Premier Alan Winde on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, chaired a meeting of the Western Cape Government Cabinet, where provincial ministers received an update on the preliminary costs associated with the severe weather events that affected the province in May 2026.

While damage assessments remain ongoing, Cabinet noted that initial estimates indicate that the cost of repairs and recovery will exceed the Western Cape Government’s current affordability levels. 

Provincial departments affected by the disaster have submitted requests to national government as part of the broader assessment and recovery process.

To support urgent recovery efforts, Provincial Treasury today presented a proposal to Cabinet to allocate funding from the province’s Unforeseen and Unavoidable Reserve during the current financial year. The funding will be directed towards critical infrastructure repairs and other immediate recovery priorities.

Cabinet has also authorised all departments to reprioritise spending within their existing budgets and to make use of disaster procurement mechanisms to accelerate the delivery of goods and services required for response, recovery, and maintenance efforts.

Premier Winde said, "The funding available through our Unforeseen and Unavoidable Reserve will assist with immediate recovery needs, but it will only cover a portion of the overall costs. The scale of this disaster requires us to work even harder to secure every available rand needed to rebuild damaged infrastructure and support affected communities. The financial impact extends across multiple departments, which adds urgency to our response. We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that recovery efforts continue without delay."

Cabinet further resolved to continue engaging with national government on reforms to the current disaster funding model to ensure provinces are better equipped to respond to increasingly frequent and severe weather-related events.

In addition, the provincial government will explore longer-term resilience measures, including self-insurance mechanisms in sectors such as agriculture, as well as appropriate insurance-linked products that can help residents better manage future disaster risks.

Premier Winde concluded that the Western Cape Government remains committed to working closely with all stakeholders, including national government, municipalities, businesses, and affected communities, to secure additional funding and support a coordinated recovery effort. 

“What adds to this urgency is the fact that at most risk from this disaster is our economy and jobs. We will not rest until the recovery is completed,” concluded Premier Winde.