Cape Town: Winter rain delays the repairment work for Southfield Canal. The repair work on two sections of the Southfield Canal was initiated by the Water and Sanitation Directorate of the City of Cape Town in June 2025.
Since then, it has been suspended continuously due to inclement weather. The work is scheduled to resume in October 2025, once the conditions get safer and more conducive.
The Catchment, Stormwater and River Management Branch of the City of Cape Town initiated the R3.6 million repair project after sections of the canal wall collapsed during heavy rainfall in July 2024 at Prince Charles Road and Dirkie Uys Street.
Notably, these repairs are critical to prevent further erosion and embarkment failure, which pose a risk to nearby properties and infrastructure.
It is situated in the Zeekoe Catchment between Southfield, Retreat and Grassy Park; the Southfield Canal is a vital watercourse, which is serving as the main inlet to the Princess Vlei waterbody. It drains an area of approx. 800 hectares and plays an important role in maintaining water flow to the vlei.
Since the work began, several challenges have impacted the project. Limited access between adjacent properties has restricted the movement of machinery and materials, while persistently high-water levels within the canal have hindered excavation and construction activities.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that they understand the inconvenience this delay may cause and appreciate the patience of the residents.
He said, “I want to assure the community that work will resume as soon as the weather permits in October.”
The adverse weather such as continuous heavy rainfall and strong winds further disrupted the schedule, by creating hazardous conditions on-site and increasing water levels in the canal. These factors made it unsafe to proceed with the necessary excavation, repair and reinforcement work.
Furthermore, to mitigate the risk of further erosion during the remainder of the rainy season, the City of Cape Town has implemented interim flood protection measures.
Notably, these include the placement of sandbags along the exposed embankments to safeguard adjacent properties until full construction can resume.