With the heavy rainfall throughout KwaZulu Natal wreaking havoc, many homes in Chatsworth were washed away while embankments collapsed onto roadways.
Approximately 63 people are currently missing or unaccounted for while the death toll now stands at 443. CAF President, businessman and founder of the Motsepe Foundation Dr Patrice Motsepe has pledged to donate 30 million rand from the foundation to assist the communities affected by the floods. Following the heavy rains, a portion of Grasmere Avenue in Croftdene was cordoned off after a home washed onto the roadway following a mudslide. Residents in the area were awoken by a loud sound at around 3am in the morning on Tuesday, 12 April when the Grasmere Ashram wall collapsed. Shortly after, a family who lived two doors away from the ashram were washed away with their home onto the roadway.
A resident, Micheal Naidoo said that members of the community gathered and rescued a mother who was covered in mud until her neck while she held her one-year-old daughter in the air, above the rubble. “They are in a stable condition. The husband, a man in his 30’s who was fully buried in the rubble was rescued and transported to a local hospital. He suffered severe injuries. He was treated for a broken arm, broken leg as well as a head injury,” he said. Another home together with a substation which was directly next to the home was washed away in the Silverglen area. Residents were forced to evacuate their homes and move to a place of safety. Residents in the area are still experiencing power failure. Naked cords are exposed in the area where the sub station collapsed. Three cars were buried under the rubble on SIlverglen Drive.
Resident, Bernice Pillay said that in the early hours of Tuesday morning at around 3am, her daughter was woken up by a loud noise outside her flat. “My daughter went to switch on the light but the power had been cut off. She quickly got her cellphone and within seconds she heard glass breaking and saw two vehicles coming towards her in her bedroom. The walls then began to fall and the ceiling caved in on her and her flat quickly filled with mud. She did her best to protect herself and her dog who was with her, she screamed for help but no one could hear. She was trapped and phoned her father who was in the main house to come rescue her but he could not get to her because her flat was buried in mud. She then knew that she was going to die if she didn’t find a way out fast. She moved ceiling boards, bricks and a partial wall to make her way out of the debris. She didn’t know what was on the other side but thankfully, my brother and a friend were there and helped carry her and her dog out to safety. She has extensive soft tissue damage, cuts, bruises and a twisted ankle and is expected to make a full recovery. My daughter has lost her flat, her car and all personal belongings but we are thankful to God that she made it out alive. The main house on the property together with three other cars have also been destroyed. We have no access to the main house. My husband heard the loud sounds and woke up to see the Etios in the air and landed near my second daughter’s window. We had to leave everything we owned and scramble out to safety with literally the clothes on our backs. We had to run out to save ourselves in the darkness of the morning and the pouring rain. None of us could predict the force of the mudslide as all we could hear was glass shattering and blocks falling. We no longer have a home to live in and are relying on the help of family members for accommodation until our home is repaired,” said Pillay.
In Bayview, a flat was on the verge of collapsing when a bank directly in front of the flat washed away. Other areas including Croftdene, Crossmoor and Havenside saw incidents of mudslides. Multiple roads were also barricaded due to debris, trees and rubble covering lanes on roads. Chairperson of the Bayview Flats Residents Association, Brandon Pillay said: “Families have not been evacuated. The Municipality’s Human Settlements Department has conducted an inspection but nothing has been done yet. I do understand that they have processes, however it is an emergency and needs immediate attention. I am hopeful that since the Minister of Cogta has called for a state of disaster in KZN this will enable the national treasury to unlock emergency funding to address the storm disaster. The tenants in these flats do not have the means to make arrangements for alternate accommodation, it is important for an engineer to provide guidance and the necessary steps should be taken.” Devotees and residents of the Umhlatuzana Temple gathered outside the premises which were washed away with the heavy rains, last week. The community was left in shock and shared emotions of sadness due to their place of worship being washed away. The temple road also collapsed. Residents claimed that after the phase passes and the river stream subsides, they plan on reconstructing the building. Elderly residents shed tears as they watched the holy building being washed away.
Premier Sihle Zikalala said,“We wish to update the people of KwaZulu-Natal, our country, and indeed the world on the progress on the interventions we have made across all sectors. We will also deal with areas of challenge. As we respond with urgency, we will put to the test our new District Development Model (DDM) and Operation Sukuma Sakhe, which identifies the beneficiary as the engine of sustainable development and in which the priority needs of the community become the overriding criteria for interventions. The needs identified are enormous. Billions will be required to rebuild the province from this catastrophe. It is against this background that at a meeting this morning, the Provincial Government resolved to ask the National Government to consider a review and perhaps investigate whether this disaster should not be declared as a National Disaster. We say this with humility and with an understanding that our President and Ministers have been the first on the ground with us and in surveying the damage they have witnessed the level of response required. We remain grateful for the speed with which the state of Provincial Disaster was declared and we can assure the nation that we are doing our best,” Premier Zikalala said. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the flood-stricken parts of KwaZulu-Natal to offer support to affected communities and assess the response of government and civil society to this critical situation.
