Flood victims abandoned at hostels by authorities in KaNyamazane
The provincial Department of Human Settlement told this publication on Tuesday it was not aware of the people and their arrangement to stay at the hostels
Victims of floods caused by the recent tropical storm Eloise are still residing in old hostels at Thembeka Secondary School. More than eight families with young children and babies said they were only given takeaway foods by the Department of Social Development, and only for their first two weeks at the hostels. They were moved there by authorities and leaders of the ruling party. They alleged no one has visited them since the day they moved in.
READ: Cogta promises help for Cyclone Eloise victims
On Monday the dwellers voiced their challenges to Lowvelder Express. “No one updates us on the way forward from here. We are worried about our safety and future, since our homes were wiped away by the storm. We had no else where to stay. The problem is there isn’t much we can do for ourselves here. Sometimes we are without water for consecutive days and no one gives us water. We are sometimes forced to walk as far as the garage on the main road to do our laundry. We need to know about our future, since we were left homeless after the storms,” they said.
READ : Some victims of the recent storm damages in KaNyamazane had been without food for a couple of days
They added that they last saw their councillor on the day they were brought to Thembeka. They said they had last received grocery donations two months ago, courtesy of Lowveld Media and partners. On Monday a few grocery items were donated, courtesy of SPAR. Comfort Ngobe, spokesperson of the Department of Social Development, said he would check with the district director. Joseph Ngala, spokesperson of the City of Mbombela Local Municipality could not be reached for comment, nor had he responded to media inquiries sent to him.
