One dead and at least 200 need homes after heavy rains hit Durban

One person has been confirmed dead after torrential rains battered parts of Durban on Tuesday, leaving scores injured and displaced.

This was announced by KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube after a government visit to Inanda, north of Durban, on Wednesday.

She said 36 people were being accommodated at the Amawoti hall, but indications were that the numbers would climb.

“So far there are 200 people who have been registered and need help. Those whose homes are partially damaged will be given building vouchers, while others would be temporarily accommodated in flats and residential units,” said Dube.

She appealed to communities to be honest during the process of identifying those in need. 

National human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi reiterated the call from the government for people to refrain from settling in flood-prone areas as this places them at high risk. Kubayi said officials were still assessing the damage.

Dube village resident Nontwane Ngonyama, 28, who was visited by the delegation, relived a hellish ordeal in which her roof was destroyed.

The swirling of dark clouds and rain set the tone for the agony in store.

“The roofs and the wooden structures and the windows have all been shattered. The curtains came tumbling down,” said Ngonyama. Her appliances and furniture were also damaged.

She said her children are now staying at her brother’s house in Pinetown.

“We could not leave. I have not had enough sleep because we have been watching over our belongings. Last night a handful of brazen criminals had been caught while trying to help themselves with some of the items which had fallen from the roof,” said Ngonyama.

“This is a major setback because I am trying to build my family a home and now I have to contend with this.”

Despite this tragedy, Ngonyane expressed relief that the heavy rains struck while her mother was not present.

“My mother has been at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital for the past three weeks. I shudder to think what would have happened had she been [home], because she is a sickly person who would not have managed to run away as we all took cover during the storm,” she said.

Though she witnessed last year’s flooding, Ngonyama said Tuesday's heavy winds and rainfall were frightening.

“I felt we are going to die,” she said.

Another resident, Ntombikhona Chirwa, 42, said the disaster had thrown her life into turmoil.

“I am grateful for my neighbours because yesterday I had nowhere else to go to. I am without anything,’’ said Chirwa.

A few metres from her house, scores of community members looked on as the contingent of officials assessed the damage went about assessing the damaged. Some had their hopes of speaking to officials dashed.

Visibly aggrieved pensioner Winile Mchunu said she was unimpressed with how the officials had dealt with the crisis. She said her neighbours had thrown her a lifeline by putting up the roofing for her house.

“What is surprising is that these officials are well aware of our plight. We have been voting all this time, but nothing happens to change our lived conditions,” said Mchunu.

Meanwhile, DA spokesperson on cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) Martin Meyer called on provincial Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi to take urgent steps to boost disaster management centres as the province grapples with the increasingly severe weather.

He said they were concerned by KZN’s inability to deal with the natural disasters as a result of severe capacity challenges within the disaster management centres.

According to Meyer, a parliamentary response about the operational capacity revealed disaster centres was only at 50%. At least 17 of the 35 positions were vacant.

“Despite the increase in strange weather patterns and ongoing increase in DA calls, there has been no move by the MEC and her department to rectify this,” said Meyer.

Climate change was having a major impact not only around the world but also in the province, he added. “It’s critical that government along with our international partners does more to combat the impact.”

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