by Thinus Ferreira
The TV presenter Marciel Hopkins and her husband Handrรจ Lourens had to flee from a massive mudslide together with the other guests staying at the Mont Martre estate next to the Franschhoek pass after the mudslide engulfed their chalet and the wedding venue.
Due to the extremely adverse weather coupled with torrential rain affecting the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, water and mud started to flood into Mont Martre high on the northern slopes of the Franschhoek Mountains, with Marciel and her husband who had to evacuate their chalet, along with other guests at the estate at 06:00 yesterday morning.
Marciel is known as the face of the Afrikaans reality farmer matchmaking show Boer Soek 'n Vrou on kykNET (DStv 144) and is also a presenter on the weekly entertainment magazine show Bravo!.
Marciel, now staying at another guest house in Franschhoek, explains that the couple had to escape over the balcony with their bags just before 06:00 "when we had to evacuate our accommodation in Franchhoek when the water and mud started flowing through our little homes".
"The owner informed us that a mudslide is going through the chalets. We had to climb over the balcony with bags in PT shorts since the front doors were shut from mud. Not how you plan on starting your public holiday. My heart breaks for people whose homes and businesses have been totally flooded and destroyed by water coming from the river mountains."
"Just last night it rained 100mm and doesn't stop. Every road in Franschhoek has been flooded so nobody can get in or out of the town - everyone's stuck! We're drinking coffee barefoot at the cooperation and praying hard that the rain subsides and that those in dire need will find safety!"
Showing photos of the couple's Mont Martre chalet on her Instagram page, Marciel says the mudslide from the mountain slammed through every chalet and Mont Martre's wedding venue.
"My heart is so unbelievably broken for the owners. The Robertsvlei road is now open to drive in and out of Franschhoek but the main road is still closed and flooded."
