Press Statement- Floods have no regard for political alliances, but they are a stark reminder of leadership failures.

For nearly five decades, the Cape Flats and its informal settlements have endured nothing but systemic neglect and abandonment whenever the winter rains arrive. Year after year, families drown in despair, their homes reduced to pools of water, their hopes swept away alongside their belongings. Yet, whilst the lives of our people are destroyed, the ANC and DA are busy playing politics, shifting blame, and making promises that never materialize. 

The Cape Flats does not need hollow words; it needs action. 

The injustice faced by informal settlement residents cannot be overstated. These communities are forced to live in conditions that would never be tolerated elsewhere: shacks built on marshy, uneven land; roads that become rivers; and a complete lack of basic services like drainage or stormwater systems. With every rainstorm, the socio-economic consequences become more dire – people lose their homes, children miss school, and breadwinners are pushed further into the depths of poverty. 

Marius Fransman, President of the People’s Movement for Change, captured this tragedy perfectly when he stated: 

“The injustice facing informal settlements is one of the greatest failures of our democracy. These communities are forced to carry the burden of socio economic inequality, while leaders turn a blind eye. What we are seeing is not just the destruction of homes, but the destruction of dignity, of opportunity, and of hope. We cannot allow this injustice to continue while others live in privilege, protected from the very same storms that devastate the Cape Flats.” 

As a nation, we have proven our capacity to create world-class stadiums, showcase engineering marvels, and deliver on highly ambitious projects. Yet, when it comes to ensuring the safety and dignity of people living in the Cape Flats and informal settlements, nothing is done. Is it because these communities are not seen as valuable? Are they less deserving of adequate infrastructure, proper housing, and protection from the annual floods?

The People’s Movement for Change demands immediate action: Level the Land: 

Invest in professional engineering to flatten flood-prone areas and prepare informal settlements for long-term sustainability. 

Basic Services: 

Provide drainage systems to mitigate recurring floods, and ensure stormwater infrastructure is modernized to meet the needs of these underserved areas. 

Accountability for Neglect: 

Hold leadership accountable for the failure to protect the most vulnerable citizens. 

While governments engage in political theatrics, the lives of Cape Flats residents – especially those in informal settlements – are being destroyed. The images of cars underwater, homes submerged, and children wandering through flooded streets are not natural disasters; they are man-made consequences of indifference and failure. 

We call on those in power to stop turning away. Winter will always come – but the suffering of the Cape Flats and its people should not. Stop the excuses. End the neglect. Fix the Cape Flats. 

Floods have no regard for political alliances, but they are a stark reminder of leadership failures. 

Enough is enough. The people of the Cape Flats deserve better.

Grant Harmse
Head of Communications
People’s Movement for Change
communications@pmc.org.za
065 978 4075