The public should wait for drier weather before visiting Table Mountain National Park because several days of driving rain and strong winds have caused landslides, eroded paths, toppled trees and dislodged boulders, says SANParks.
Rangers found another landslide in the upper-Tokai section of the park on Monday June 19 as well as erosion of a track leading to the radio mast, says the state conservation agency.
“Now that the rains have subsided, rangers are accessing areas right across the park. They have discovered the new landslide and boulders that have come down. We are cautioning park users to wait for a drier period to access mountain-hiking, horse and bike trails,” said SANParks spokeswoman Lauren Howard-Clayton.
On Wednesday June 14, SANParks issued a warning of localised flooding in and around the park.
Flood-affected areas included lower Tokai and Orpen Road with hazardous falling trees and branches in the arboretum. There was a landslide along Constantia Nek leading up to the dam, and SANParks closed the Level 5 trail, the main cycling link between Silvermine and Tokai, because mudslides choked it with boulders and debris.
On Thursday June 15, the City reported that the Keyser River had burst its banks, causing flooding at the Johnson & Johnson factory and the Melomed Private Hospital in Tokai.
“I witnessed a major City effort to excavate the Keyser River near Tokai where teams are removing silt and vegetation and diverting water within the catchment to help reduce the flow into the river. This should further alleviate the localised flooding, which has affected businesses and the Melomed Hospital in the area,” said mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Meanwhile, a submerged pothole on Orpen Road had caused damage to cars, according to environmental non-profit organisation Parkscape.
“Images shared on social media indicate bad flooding on Orpen Road with reports of a growing pothole, which is not visible beneath the water or in poor light conditions. Reports have been received of vehicle damage where cars have hit the pothole not knowing it was there,” the organisation said on Facebook.
Ward councillor Carolynne Franklin said the pothole had been repaired on Sunday June 18. Orpen Road flooded most years after heavy rainfall, she added.
“It is a concern for me that the SANParks land upstream of the lower Tokai Park is not particularly well managed, and this appalling run-off mudslide damage to City infrastructure is the result.
“There were signs up that said ‘road flooded’, as there are every year. Unfortunately, some road users still decided to drive through at over 100km/h without being vigilant and careful of what might be beneath the water, which, at one stage, was up to 20cm deep as it was flowing across the road. But within 24 hours of the service log, City teams did come out, amid great stress and pressure, and the potholes were filled.”
