LADYSMITH – The uThukela District Municipality premises is currently inaccessible due to the fact that the ground level offices have been flooded.

The uThukela Disaster Management Services are responding to call-outs at the moment. Action they are taking includes pumping water out of affected homes, evacuation and providing sandbags.

The heavy downpours that have been experienced over the past few days have caused flash flooding in most parts of Alfred Duma Local Municipality.

In Ladysmith, many businesses situated in the lower-lying areas and parts of the CBD (including uThukela District Municipality) have been severely hit by the floods.

uThukela District leadership – including mayor Inkosi NB Shabalala, deputy mayor MH Shange, speaker TY Nqubuka, municipal manager MM Sithole and senior managers – went to assess the impact of the flash floods.

Sithole, through the advice of the Municipal Health Unit, has urged all staff members not to open the offices due to the floors being wet. He also requested colleagues to work from home and be accessible when required.

The public is therefore notified that because of the floods, most of uThukela’s services have been interrupted.

Also read: Search and Rescue teams save flash flood victims

Senior managers will convene an emergency meeting at the uThukela District Development Agency’s offices later this afternoon at around 16:00 to assess the impact of the current situation.