AMAKHULU abantu ayiswe ezindaweni eziphephile ngemuva kwezimvula ezinamandla eziphinde zahlasela lesi sifundazwe, kwacekeleka phansi imigwaqom nezindlu.
Lokhu kwenzeke umphakathi usazikhotha amanxeba futhi kusalungiswa ingqalasizinda eyonakele, abantu basala dengwane emuva kwezikhukhula zangenyanga edlule, nokungezinye zezigameko ezimbi ezike zaphazamisa lesi sifundazwe.
Izikhukhula zango-Ephreli zibulale abangu-448, abangu-88 basanyamalele, zashiya abangaphezu kuka-6,800 bengenamakhaya futhi zalimaza nengqalasizinda engaphezu kuka-R25 billion.
Lesi sifundazwe sithole izexwayiso kusenesikhathi ngabakwaSouth Africa Weather Service, bexwayisa ngokuqhubeka kwemvula ephazamisayo ngoMgqibelo emadolobheni amaningi okuhlanganisa neTheku elikhahlamezeke kakhulu izikhukhula ezedlule.
“Kuze kube manje umthelela omkhulu ulindelekile ezindaweni ezisogwini nasenyakatho-mpumalanga yeKwaZulu-Natal,” kusho uMnuz Sipho Hlomuka uNgqongqoshe woMnyango wokuBusa ngokubambisana neziDdaba zoMdabu ngesikhathi ekhuluma nezintatheli.
Uthe babalelwa ku-250 abantu abakhishwe ezikhungweni zokunakekela oThongathi nasehotela eTehuise eThekwini, okuhlanganisa nezindawo ezihlala asebathatha umhlalaphansi bayiswa kwezinye izikhungo. Munye kuphela umndeni okhishiwe ngenxa yokubhidlika komjondolo.
“Le mvula enamandla kangaka idale ukugcwala kwemigwaqo, izindawo zokuhlala abantu kwalimala nezakhiwo. Siyakuqonda ukuthi ezinye izindawo azingeneki futhi seziphenduke iziqhingi okwamanje,” usho kanje, wengeza ngokuthi bebengakawutholi umbiko ogcwele ngomthelela wezimvula ezinamandla zakamuva.
Imvula iqhubekile nokuna ngeSonto kwezinye izingxenye zeKwaZulu-Natal, kusho abeSouth Africa Weather service, njengoba izinga lokuxwayisa belisalokhu liphezulu kakhulu.
Khonamanjalo, ungoti wezokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, uSolwazi Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, uthi nakuba umthelela wezimvula ezinamandla eziholele ekutheni kube nezikhukhula ebusuku KwaZulu-Natal, ungekho ezingeni lezikhukhula ezihlasele abantu abaningi ngenyanga edlule, ezishiye abantu abaningi beshonile, inqwaba ingenamakhaya, kusenokukhathazeka ukuthi abantu abaningi bahlala besengozini, ngenxa yalesi simo.
“Imvamisa nokushuba kwesimo sezulu kungenzeka kunyuke ngenxa yokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, futhi-ke, siyazibona lezi zikhukhula eziqhubekayo kule mpelasonto, futhi nakuba umthelela ungekho esikalini salokho esikubonile, I-risk profile yiyona ekhulise lesi simo. Ngakho-ke isixwayiso se-level 10 esikhishwe ngabakwaSouth African Weather Service.”
Isifunda seLembe sikhahlamezeke kakhulu njengoba inqwaba yemindeni isala dengwane kanti nengqalasizinda yemigwaqo iphazamisekile.
Okhulumela isifundazwe uLennox Mabaso utshele abemithombo yezindaba ukuthi izindawo ezikhahlamezeke kakhulu esifundeni iLembe yiKwaMaphumulo naseNdwedwe.
UMabaso uthe njengoba bekulindeleke ukuthi kuqhubeke izikhukhula ngempelasonto kuze kube uMsombuluko, umbiko ophelele ngeke ukhishwe okwamanje.
KuMasipala weTheku, abadidiyeli bokulawulwa kwezinhlekelele abawu-16 babekwe endaweni yokulinda ukuze bakwazi ukuqapha ngokucophelela izindawo ezisengozini enkulu futhi baphendule lapho kudingeka khona.
Umasipala uthi kunamathimba okuhlaliswa kwabantu asexwayiswe ukuthi aqaphe izindawo ezihlala eduze nezindawo ezihlaselwe yizikhukhula ukuze kuqashwe isidingo sokuphuma kwabantu.
“Munye kuphela umndeni wakwaWadi 40 enyakatho yeTheku okhishiwe ngenxa yokuwa kwemijondolo wase uyiswa esikhungweni sokunakekela sesikhashana saKwaNozaza,” kusho okhulumela uMkhandlu weTheku uMnuz Msawakhe Mayisela.
Umasipala uthi kudingeke ukuthi ukhiphe abantu abangu-190 esikhungweni sokunakekela ehostela eTehuis bayiswa ehholo laseWema. UMayisela uthe u-80% wezikhungo zezempilo azithintekile futhi zihlinzeka ngosizo olungaphazamiseki.
“Ithimba leHealth Services Outreach lizoqhubeka nokuvakashela izindawo zokukhosela futhi libeke eqhulwini izindawo ezifana no-SJ Smith (Wema), Old Age Homes enyakatho,” usho kanje.
UMayisela uthe zingu-82 izikhungo zokunakekela ezivulekele ukuhlalisa abantu kuleli dolobha kanti nezindawo zokukhosela abangenamakhaya eziphephile zisasebenza futhi bazokwamukela ukuthi abantu bathole indawo lapho befisa ukuhlaliswa ezindaweni eziphephile.
“Usizo lusaqhubeka ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi wonke amahholo omphakathi anabantu abafudukayo bathola usizo olwanele, usizo lwezenhlalakahle kanye nosizo lwezokwelapha.
“Izimpahla ezingaboli, izingubo zokugqoka, izingubo zokulala nomatilasi zikhona ukusiza abaswele,” usho kanje.
