Calls for flood-affected areas to be declared disaster zones
Foreign nationals displaced by severe flooding in KwaZulu-Natal have declined to come forward for assistance due to government verification processes, hampering relief efforts for approximately 100 homes that were swept away in New Hanover.
The reluctance has emerged as an obstacle in the province’s response to Sunday’s devastating storms that left one woman dead and two people still missing.
KZN MEC for Human Settlements Siboniso Duma revealed that the majority of those affected in informal settlements near river banks are foreign nationals, who have been the hardest hit by the disaster.
He said his department’s attempts to organise shelter and distribute essential supplies have been undermined by the verification requirement, which has deterred most displaced residents from accessing help.
“The ward councillor tried and organised a venue and a hall with the mayor. Unfortunately, the majority of them are foreigners, so they couldn’t come because we’ve started the process of verification, which is a key feature for us,” Duma said during an on-site visit to New Hanover on Monday morning.
Verification deemed essential despite low turnout
Despite the low turnout from displaced residents, Duma defended the verification process as a critical component of the government’s relief framework.
He emphasised that the human settlements department had already initiated the verification procedures and would continue with the process to ensure proper distribution of aid and resources.
The MEC stated that approximately 100 homes were destroyed by the storm and heavy rainfall.
Furthermore, he noted that the proximity of these settlements to waterways had made residents particularly vulnerable during flash floods.
“Unfortunately, as you can just see, that informal settlement is closer to the riverbank,” Duma stated, adding that the disaster underscored longstanding warnings about building in flood-prone areas.
The verification process is expected to provide accurate figures for the number of people displaced, though authorities have yet to release preliminary numbers.
Duma said his department was committed to ensuring no one was left behind in relief efforts, despite the challenges posed by residents’ reluctance to come forward.
ALSO READ: KZN floods: Body recovered as foreign nationals bear brunt of uMshwathi disaster
Search operations continue for two missing persons
The body of a woman was recovered from a river in New Hanover on Monday morning, trapped under a tree approximately two to three kilometres from the initial search area.
Search and rescue teams continue operations to locate two other individuals who were swept away by floodwaters on Sunday.
Duma confirmed that the retrieval of the recovered body was underway, with police safeguarding the scene.
“The rescue team is going to give us a succinct account of what is currently happening because, as I’m already mentioning, it will be unfair that we know exactly where they are, yet they have not been discovered. We are glad that the first body has been discovered,” Duma said.
While New Hanover experienced severe damage, Duma reported that other areas of the province had been less affected by the storms.
Climate change warnings
The MEC used the disaster as an opportunity to emphasise the dangers of building in riverfront areas, particularly in light of climate change impacts. He said his department was engaging with various stakeholders about the risks posed by informal settlements in flood-prone zones and the importance of conducting impact assessments before any construction.
“We are talking to different stakeholders about the issue of building on the river frontage, the water is always going to give us a problem. Climate change has given us the reality that we can’t build anywhere, which is why the issue of impact assessment is always critical for us,” Duma said.
He cautioned against being presumptuous about the causes of the disaster while investigations were still underway, noting that following unverified trends could blow things out of proportion and not help build the nation.
His department had conducted assessments across KwaZulu-Natal and found that while some rivers had swelled, no significant house damage had been reported in other regions.
ALSO READ: Houses and road infrastructure destroyed in uMshwathi as heavy rains batter KZN [VIDEO]
Political pressure mounts for disaster declaration
There have been calls for the uMshwathi Local Municipality to be declared a disaster area.
The MK party, among those calling for the declaration, described the flooding as a humanitarian crisis requiring immediate national intervention.
“This is not merely a weather event; it is a humanitarian crisis requiring swift and decisive action from all levels of government and civil society,” party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said.
The party called for the immediate release of emergency funding for rapid aid deployment, the provision of short-term, dignified housing and essential supplies for affected families, and the deployment of engineering teams to repair critical infrastructure.
Power restoration efforts
Eskom KZN teams worked through the night to restore power to most customers following widespread outages caused by severe thunderstorms, lightning, high winds and heavy rainfall on Sunday.
Repairs to damaged network sections were continuing on Monday morning in areas including:
- Empangeni,
- Mtubatuba,
- Ulundi,
- Hluhluwe,
- Hlabisa,
- Eshowe,
- Doornkop,
- Pomeroy,
- Vryheid,
- Edenvale,
- Appelsbosch, and
- Wartburg.
“Restoration progress may be hindered by access problems in some areas, and Eskom appeals for customers’ patience and understanding,” the utility urged.
Customers were urged to treat all electrical installations as live for their safety and to report fallen or unsafe structures through Eskom’s self-service channels.
READ NEXT: You’ve been warned: Brace for very bad weather in Gauteng and across four other provinces on Monday
