KwaZulu-Natal, particularly eThekwini, faced further devastation over the weekend as heavy rains exacerbated the damage caused by recent floods, leaving more people homeless and disrupting traffic and businesses.
Over the past two months, more than 20 people have died in floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
The South African Weather Service escalated its warning to level 5, predicting more flooding in vulnerable areas. Heavy downpours are expected to cause flooding and excessive lightning and damaging winds in the western and southern parts of the province.
Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, said: “We have lost more than 20 people in the last two months, and we continue to count the costs, especially the destruction of public infrastructure like roads, clinics, and homes. The cost of these floods runs into hundreds of millions and you would remember that there were severe floods in 2022, which we are still reeling from, and we are still trying to settle some of the victims of 2022, and now we are hit by recent floods,” he said.
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Over 3,600 families were relocated, and 2,224 housing units were destroyed, with thousands still awaiting temporary shelter. Emergency services, government departments, and NGOs like Gift of the Givers and Al-Imdaad Foundation aided flood victims.
Residents of KwaZulu-Natal have been urged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.
“We strongly urge residents in low-lying areas, and those who are near river banks, to immediately move away and seek shelter on higher ground. Residents are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel. As a province, we are deeply concerned about the potential impact of these severe thunderstorms, and associated flooding. The province, unfortunately, has already experienced tragic loss of life, due to the recent severe weather,” said Buthelezi.
Reported by allAfrica
