By : Samane Jnr Marks, Siyabonga Goni, Nhlanhla Mabunda and Lukhanyo Tshitshi
A torn greenhouse set by the extensive cape winds at the Wellington campus on Wednesday, 10 April,2024 photo captured by (Nhlanhla Mabunda)
The Western Cape has been hit with gale-force winds and thunderstorms, at the weekend causing havoc and leaving infrastructure dilapidated.
This intense caused massive damage that dented many establishments around the province, while leaving the Wellington campus’s infrastructure in squalor conditions and one of the classrooms utterly out of use.
It forced the closure of roads leading into Cape Town and schools in the Winelands and Overberg districts remained closed till Tuesday, 9 April due to the extensive weather.
Following the torrential storm on Wednesday, 10 April Future News reporters visited one of Cape Peninsula University's Wellington campus where infrastructure and plants were destroyed.
An uprooted entrance access point at Wellington campus on Wednesday, 10, April 2024, photo captured by (Nhlanhla Mabunda.)
It is an agricultural-based campus located in the heart of Wellington. This campus offers a range of agricultural courses in the Faculties of Applied Sciences, Business as well as Education.
One of the long-serving, soil science and biometric lecturers, Dr Tanga told Future News the extensive turn out of the wind was “strange.” He said “usually this wind occurs later in the year, not at this time.”
Clean-up operations weren’t underway during the visit of Future News. Authorities on site were assessing the infrastructure damage, from the building materials to the farming equipment, everything was displaced and destroyed.
Plants in the greenhouse were destroyed, including classroom windows were broken and one of the main lecture room ceilings was dilapidated and left to be out of use.
Since the weekend, heavy rains and strong winds have caused havoc on roads and a fire in Fish Hoek on the Cape Peninsula destroying several homes.
A demolished old building at the Wellington Campus, Captured by Nhlanhla Mabunda on Wednesday 10, April 2024
On Wednesday, CPUT Newsflash statement informed the community of the extensive damage and mark the storm has caused on CPUT campuses.
“It is important to note that the University faced a number of maintenance issues due to the storm which ravaged the Western Cape.”
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management revealed that nearly 3,000 structures were affected.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell said officials are monitoring high-risk areas and determining the need for humanitarian and engineering relief where impacts have been reported.
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