Dear Editor
The DA notes today’s visit to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) by National Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane – which comes a shocking three years after the 2022 floods – to engage with flood victims, introduce a contractor and hand over housing units.
While the DA welcomes these long-overdue interventions, the response by the national Human Settlements Minister has been unacceptably delayed. For her to only come to KZN now – to “introduce a contractor” and hand over a small number of houses – is a massive failure of leadership and governance.
The delays have not only prolonged the suffering of countless families, they have also deeply impaired their dignity, with many forced to endure years of uncertainty and instability in transitional emergency accommodation.
The DA will continue to demand accountability for this blatant lapse in service delivery. It is unconscionable that disaster relief has been handled with such lethargy, leaving communities vulnerable and unsupported for so long. We will also keep pressing for real-time interventions to ensure that when disasters strike, victims receive urgent assistance – not delayed promises.
As climate change continues to bring more unpredictable and extreme weather, climate-resilient infrastructure is essential and educating communities on disaster preparedness must now take place. KZN cannot afford a repeat of this failure and our people deserve responsiveness when disasters strike, not three-year delays.
As a member of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA in KZN will continue to fight for proper disaster preparation, instead of scrambling for years after each incident.
Regards
Hannah Lidgett, MPL
DA KZN Alternate Spokesperson on Human Settlements