All three victims swept away in New Hanover floods have been recovered as officials support families and assess widespread damage.
The bodies of two of the three victims that were swept away by devastating floods in the uMshwathi local municipality, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), have been recovered.
Devastating floods struck the Shiyabazali area of New Hanover on Sunday, 23 November. They destroyed close to 19 homes and swept three people away.
One body was recovered a day after the incident, leaving two people still missing.
Two more bodies found after floods in uMshwathi
On Wednesday morning, two bodies were discovered in the affected area.
MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said the bodies were found after the department assigned its rowing team to the recovery process.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. All of them have been recovered,” Duma said.
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KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, said disaster management teams are undertaking the extraction process. He added that a thorough identification process with the families will follow.
Buthelezi has dispatched senior officials from the provincial disaster management centre to oversee the extraction and recovery process.
Recovery process
The MEC said the discovery came after concerted efforts by the local community working alongside dedicated disaster management teams.
“These developments bring us closer to closing a very painful chapter for the New Hanover community in uMshwathi, which lost three lives due to severe weather conditions,” said Buthelezi.
He again expressed his condolences to the affected families.
“We commend the brave and tireless work of the community together with the search and rescue teams,” the MEC said.
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“Our focus now is on supporting the families through this final, difficult stage and ensuring a respectful recovery of the victims.”
Minister of Human Settlement Thembi Simelane visited the area on Monday after close to 19 homes were destroyed.
The KZN human settlement department said the destroyed homes will receive assistance as a matter of urgency.
Assistance for displaced people
MEC Duma said he and Simelane agreed that landlords who built houses along the riverbank will no longer be allowed to rent out their places.
“Tenants will look for safe alternative places to rent. People who live in both mud and block houses, not built by the government, will be given temporary residential units, and their houses will be demolished,” he said.
The MEC said the department is managing the possibilities of relocating four families who are living in houses built by the government, as their policy does not allow them to benefit twice.
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Engineers will be assessing houses built away from the riverbank, which are also flooded during rainy days.
Another storm on Tuesday
Another storm hit parts of KZN on Tuesday night. Duma said the department has received reports from its rowing teams from human settlements in various district municipalities.
“The team has reported that there are houses that have been damaged. We are currently collating information and working with disaster teams to ensure that no one is left behind,” the MEC said.
In terms of transport, he said the Road Traffic Inspectorate team is monitoring traffic and ensuring the safety of motorists. The department also has engineers assessing road infrastructure.
“They will indicate if there is any need to close certain road networks. We urge motorists to keep a safe following distance and reduce speed,” the MEC said.
