Heavy rains causing floods, with water waist-deep in some areas, have turned what should have been a joyous Eid into a washed-out disaster on the Flats.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Manenberg twister, which left five people dead.
Ironically in the same street where homes were rebuilt to house victims, a flood has left Eid day cold and bitter for families.
Instead of having a warm meal, families in Dwyka Street in Manenberg were left without electricity, food or warm water.
This was after a canal overflowed on Tuesday just after 6pm and water began seeping into people’s homes, reaching waist-deep levels.
Labarang outfits, as well as major electrical appliances like stoves, fridges and a brand-new washing machine still in plastic wrapping were damaged.
For Yasmina Shabodien, 47, and her family, it was like history repeating itself.
By Tuesday night, her entire home was flooded, with beds and furniture floating on the water.
GOODWILL: Neighbour helps the Munnick couple clean up
On 29 August 1999, at 6.20am, Yasmina woke to heavy rainfall and strong winds by a twister which left five people dead, 177 hurt and 5000 homeless.
“It started raining very hard and the wind was so strong, it sounded like an aeroplane was falling on us and the windows rattled and broke,” she recalls.
“We didn’t know where to go, we were left in complete darkness. I had three children at the time and the youngest was a year old. This week, it started to rain and the water started rising and rising and we were so shocked, the water came inside.
Shiehaam Shabodien and her baby
“My room is still wet, we have no electricity, this bed was floating. My daughter and son-in-law’s separate entrance is surrounded by water. There is no Eid today.”
Yasmiena’s daughter, Shiehaam, who gave birth four days ago, had to be
relocated.
Shamielah Miggels, 30, who lives next door with her three children and her husband, have also been left without electricity and all their electrical equipment is damaged.
“I cannot dress my children because all their clothing is wet,” she says.
WET: Shamielah Miggels with her children
“I cannot even cook Eid food for my family. All our appliances, like the top-loader we bought two weeks ago and another washing machine are damaged.”
The home of twister survivors Angeline Munnick, 70, and her husband, J. Munnick, 74, was also flooded.
CLEAN-UP: Family tried to salvage Shamielah’s furniture
The City’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said: “In Manenberg, the canal in Silverstream Road overflowed, leading to a number of houses being flooded.”
A swathe of areas were affected by the flooding, including Athlone, Diep River, Gugulethu, Langa, Hout Bay, Khayelitsha and Philippi.
FIX: People moving their furniture after the storm broke out
“There were no evacuations and no emergency sheltering was activated.”