A severe level 9 storm battered Gauteng over the weekend, causing widespread flooding and damage, just after an Amnesty International report warned of increasing flood vulnerabilities in South Africa's informal settlements. More than 200mm of rain fell in 24 hours, uprooting trees and flooding homes in areas like Johannesburg and Soweto. Residents in flood-prone communities expressed frustration over unfulfilled government promises to mitigate risks.
On Sunday, 16 November 2025, a level 9 storm ripped through Gauteng, dumping over 200mm of rain in just 24 hours by 8am. The deluge uprooted trees, flooded roads, and left neighbourhoods in darkness, prompting authorities to release water from the Vaal and Bloemhof dams to prevent overflows. The South African Weather Service later downgraded the alert to level 6 for severe thunderstorms in northern Gauteng and western Limpopo, with level 4 warnings for disruptive rain in eastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
The storm exacerbated longstanding flood risks in informal settlements, as detailed in Amnesty International's recent report, 'Flooded and Forgotten: Informal Settlements and the right to housing in South Africa.' The report examines vulnerabilities in eThekwini, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, attributing regular riverine and pluvial flooding to apartheid-era spatial segregation, inadequate infrastructure, and government shortcomings. It criticizes the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme for patchy progress due to red tape and corruption, and notes that seasonal floods often go unclassified as major incidents, denying relief to victims.
In Alexandra, along the Jukskei River, patroller Bongani Albertus of the Alexandra Water Warriors described annual inundations: "When it rains, the river gets so full it goes all the way up the [embankment] to those houses." Resident Kgabo Raphala highlighted unfulfilled promises, including empty shipping container units provided after 2020 floods, while many remain in temporary relocation areas five years later. In Soweto, Simphiwe Nyembe, 20, found his shack flooded with spoiled food and clothes, and Thomson Nxumalo, 60, used cement barriers to protect his home. Lenasia resident Mandla Maphumulo reported overflowing sewerage pipes, saying, "We’ll have to live with the filth for a few more days."
Amnesty links intensified flooding to human-induced climate change, citing the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods as twice as likely due to global warming. Government spokesperson Tsekiso Machike defended relocation efforts, stating, "It is unlikely that our team would relocate people to an area that is known to be prone to disasters," and noted billions invested in upgrades, including R15-billion from 2021-2025 to reduce risks.
Communities like Alexandra Water Warriors have implemented WhatsApp early warning systems, but residents urge better integration of disaster risk reduction into urban planning to uphold housing rights.