The Mthwalume River often swells when it rains making it deadly for people to cross.
- Floods have wreaked havoc across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), killing at least 22 people and leaving over 40 families homeless.
- Many of the displaced families from Lamontville in eThekwini were relocated to temporary accommodation after their homes were damaged.
More than 20 people died in the last month and over 200 others were left homeless during the floods across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
At least 40 families, or nearly 230 people, from Lamontville under the eThekwini municipality, have been moved to a hotel after their homes were badly damaged or destroyed.
On Tuesday, Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, and Siboniso Duma, the MEC of Human Settlements, briefed the media at Impala flats in South Beach on interventions to help flood victims.
Lamontville resident Zondeni Gcabashe is currently missing. She has been missing since 25 February after she was washed away by the floods while trying to get to high ground, her daughter, Ntombikhona Mhlongo told GroundUp. Gcabashe’s family is still hopeful that she will be found.
The Dingiswayo family, also from Lamontville, lost three children in the floods. Lethu, five, Anathi, 11 and Sinokhanyo, 16 were washed away when trying to find high ground. Their bodies were found at Ansteys beach on 26 February. A memorial service for the children is planned for Wednesday evening.
The Human Settlements department has committed to finding sites where temporary housing can be set up for flood victims, said Simelane.
The department also plans to build permanent housing for families affected by the floods. But Simelane noted that everyone might not qualify. To help those who don’t qualify, the department has planned to distribute 279 packages of building materials, she added.
Simelane said other areas in the province affected by flooding includes the Ugu district municipality on the south coast.
Recently R100-million was allocated to KZN for further flood relief. But this amount is not enough, said Duma. Many areas in KZN have still not recovered from the damage caused by the April 2022 floods, he added.
Citing statistics collected by the Department of Human Settlements, Xaba said 3,676 flood victims have been relocated and 7,916 families within 42 transitional camps still need to be relocated.
The mayor added that eThekwini has about 590 informal settlements “which keep growing”. People in these settlements often build on high-risk areas such as wetlands which made providing services there difficult, he said.
Xaba said the municipality is struggling to cope with the unprecedented rainfall in recent years which has crippled key infrastructure like roads and bridges. Climate change has been a factor in the recent extreme weather conditions, he added.
In Kwaqoloqolo village, which falls under the Umzumbe local municipality in the Ugu district, Sithembiso Mbutho’s body was found floating in the Mthwalume River on 21 February. His brother, Sibusiso, told GroundUp that he had been crossing the river to fetch his cattle after heavy rainfall and never returned home.
The river separates two communities that regularly commute between the two areas. Community leader Mbongeni Mnyende said that this becomes an issue when it rains because the nearest bridge for some community members is over five kilometres away.
Community members from both sides of the river have been pleading for the government to build a bridge over the river to create a safer passage, especially for children going to school, said Myende.
Umzumbe municipality spokesperson Sabelo Ncwane said it was for the provincial department of transport to build the bridge.
In response to questions about the community’s plea, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, the KZN Department of Transport spokesperson, acknowledged that there is a huge backlog of the construction of the new road infrastructure and that prolonged rainfall had only made things more difficult.
Last week two more deaths, caused by floods, were recorded in the Ugu district through the ongoing mop-up operations being carried out by the KZN provincial disaster management team.
Sibusiso Mbutho’s brother, Sithembiso, was found floating in the Mthwalume River on 21 February. Sibusiso told GroundUp that he had been crossing the river to fetch his cattle after heavy rainfall and never returned home.
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