Heavy rains continue trail of destruction in KwaZulu-Natal

KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Sipho Hlomuka has deployed disaster management teams to continue to monitor areas prone to flooding as inclement weather conditions are expected to continue.

This follows a number of fatal incidents across the province, owing to heavy rains.

In a recent incident in eThekwini, two men died when a wall collapsed in their informal settlement in Siyanda near KwaMashu.

In a separate incident in KwaMyeko, Mtubatuba on Thursday, one person was swept away while trying to cross a flooded, low-lying bridge. The body of the deceased was recovered by members of the community further downstream.

Hlomuka has sent his condolences to the families of the three victims. He has further welcomed the declaration of a national state of disaster by national Minister of Cogta, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, for areas that were affected by strong winds and floods due to tropical storm Eloise and summer season rains.

The Gazette, which was signed by the minister on 24 February, paves the way for a raft of measures to be implemented by organs of state and municipalities in addressing the extensive destruction left by the storms.

The damages experienced by the province since 24 January are estimated at R989-million.