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According to the MEC, the provincial government has already spent R185 million on hotel and self-catering accommodation for flood victims.
KZN Floods. Picture: Supplied
KwaZulu-Natal’s Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma made an urgent flight to Gauteng on Wednesday to meet with National Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane.
This, as flood victims were evicted from Bayside Hotel due to delayed government payments.
Duma noted that the eviction has left families, including children, exposed to cold weather conditions.
This comes after some victims refused to move to alternative accommodation at Chesterville Community Hall.
According to Duma, the provincial government has already spent R185 million on hotel and self-catering accommodation for flood victims but requires an additional R128 million to house 1 200 families.
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Delays in payment processing lead to flood victims evictions
Duma explained that bureaucratic processes aimed at avoiding audit findings caused the payment delays that resulted in the hotel eviction.
The MEC flew to Gauteng to work out an urgent plan with Minister Simelane to address the crisis.
“Delays caused by processes around obtaining approvals to avoid audit findings and irregular expenditure by the Auditor General resulted in the unfortunate eviction of flood victims from the hotel,” Duma said.
Flood victims resist temporary relocation
The government arranged buses yesterday evening to transport victims to Chesterville Community Hall as a temporary measure, but encountered resistance from some individuals within the group.
“We plead with flood victims evicted from Bayside Hotel to allow eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Human Settlements to move them to Chesterville Community Hall as a temporary measure,” Duma stated.
The MEC expressed concern about alleged intimidation within the group, saying there are “terrified individuals who have informed us that they have been intimidated and forced not to move to Chesterville Community Hall”.
Duma described the situation as unacceptable.
Despite the refusal by some victims to be moved, the department plans to continue pleading with them.
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Housing solutions blocked by community resistance
The provincial government has faced additional challenges in providing permanent housing solutions for flood victims.
Construction projects on state-owned land in areas such as Shallcross have been halted due to community opposition.
“We could have built houses for some victims in identified state-owned land, such as in Shallcross and other areas, but communities there chased away contractors who were starting to build,” Duma revealed.
The MEC called for unity during Nelson Mandela Month, urging communities to embrace Ubuntu values.
He criticised the “not in my backyard” syndrome that has seen communities resist resettlement of flood victims on government-owned land adjacent to their properties.
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Government stance on unsuitable land
Duma emphasised that the government cannot rebuild homes on land that previously proved unsuitable.
“The reality is that government cannot rebuild on unsuitable land that saw homes being washed away during floods,” he stated.
He said the department has also engaged with the Human Rights Commission, presenting the matter to them last week as part of ongoing efforts to address the accommodation crisis.
The provincial government has committed to providing further updates throughout the day as the situation develops.
