Following what may have been considered as the ‘dark time’ for the province due to the recent torrential rains and floods which claimed 435 lives, while 54 people are still missing and 6 278 are currently homeless, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise and other stakeholders visited the Emergency Rescue teams at Virginia Airport in Durban North on Friday, 22 April.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) leadership, including Ward 25 Councillor, Nicole Bollman were also on site to check-up on the national heroes who are situated at the airport.The DA also joined the Rescue Teams in an operation to locate some of the people who are still missing in Inanda. “The reason for this visit is to personally thank the Emergency Rescue Teams that are currently working long hours on the field recovering those who were tragically lost during last weeks floods. Due to the floods, many communities have been left without water and that includes areas in the north. The municipality has been deploying water tankers, which can’t be a long term solution as water is the basic need. The day took an unexpected turn when we headed into Inanda after receiving a call from a family member who had lost five family members during the flood. We arrived at the site to find a scene not too dissimilar to that of a war zone.
“The story of how four homes once stood in this chaotic void, how on the night in the pitch darkness and sounds of the Piesang River having burst its banks, sand and rock falls and the screams of people as they were consumed by the disaster. The community visually affected by what had transpired and angered by the delays in obtaining assistance in locating the bodies of their loved ones. After a few calls, a team was dispatched from the Virginia Airport and very soon recovery operations had begun,” said Cllr Bollman. Meanwhile, Minister Modise and MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza briefed the media on the government’s response to the affected families. Shortly after the briefing, the Emergency Rescue teams were dispatched to different areas in the South and North Coast of the province to provide relief and and comfort to the families affected by floods.
As of Sunday, Premier Sihle Zikalala announced that 17 438 households have been affected by the disaster wherein 121 687 people were affected. The number of those who remain in shelters is 7 245 people in eThekwini. Zikalala added that overall, it is now estimated that the largest expenditure on rehabilitation will come from PRASA- related infrastructure which will amount to R940 348 500 00. “This is a clear demonstration of the ferocious nature of these storms, and the work that remains ahead before we can restore our province back to the pre-floods period. We salute all our brave patriots who are ready to sacrifice their lives in service to the nation. “Your courage, service and spirit inspire us all to be better human beings, and that to serve others is the highest demonstration of patriotism. We convey our sincerest condolences to the families of all those who have passed away and some of whom are being laid to rest this weekend and in days to come,” said Premier Zikalala.
