This was highlighted during his visit to Nkululeko Informal Settlement in Northdale on Thursday morning to assess the situation where three families lost everything due to floods.

Mshengu was accompanied by Msunduzi Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, deputy mayor Mxolisi Mkhize, uMgungundlovu district municipal manager Ray Ngcobo and other officials. They also visited low-level bridges that are still overflowing, such as the bridge on Grimthorpe Avenue, Lincoln Meade and Sobantu.

“We are here on a provincial executive council programme to visit the storm-affected areas and families. What we have seen in some areas is quite bad,” said Mshengu.

During the briefing, he raised the issue of human settlements, emphasising the need to invest in long-term sustainable solutions for human settlements.

“Where do we allow our people to settle? This area where these three families built their houses was not supposed to be settled by human beings. We are lucky that here, no casualties were reported, but we don’t want to wait for such to happen. As government, we will have to find to intervene and find them better houses,” he said.

Resident Manapo Muhlakwana said she was in the room that got damaged when the water started flooding in, and she rushed to call her mother.

“The minute we stepped out of the house it collapsed. Everything happened so fast, and we couldn’t save anything from the house,” said Muhlakwana.

Andiswa Magashana said a beam of wood fell while they were watching. “It almost felt on top of the child. We also got trapped inside the house we ended up knocking a hole in the wall to save our lives. We will be happy if we could be moved from this place. Cards and children’s birth certificates were ruined by water,” she said.

Another resident, Malisema Muhlakwana, who has a two-month-old baby, said after noticing that the condition of the house they are in is bad, they moved to another one.

“It was also not in a good condition and my child said we must go outside. The moment we got out, it collapsed. We are now sleeping at neighbours’ houses. We are a family of eight and the neighbours have allowed us to be in their houses.

“We almost died in the house with a two-month baby,” she said.

Msunduzi Municipality mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla committed to ensuring these families will be moved to a place of safety.