After being hit by relentless rains and flooding this past weekend, uMhlanga is on the road to recovery as work begins to repair the damages caused by the inclement weather.
The northern part of eThekwini was the hardest hit, including areas such as uMhlanga, Verulam, oThongathi and Phoenix as well as parts of the North Coast. Other reported areas that were affected in the south include uMlazi, Chatsworth and Folweni.
At this stage, six fatalities have been confirmed in eThekwini, while two people have been reported missing. The uMhlanga Residents and Ratepayer’s Association (URRA) chairperson, Terry MacLarty, who was out assessing the damages, said that the aftermath looked quite bad, with road damages and sinkholes being the most common consequence of the heavy rainfall in the area.
“Today we ar just trying to help different people. On Sunday, things were looking quite bad. We had very bad road damages in the area. A lot of the shops were flooded. There were a few places with significant damage but I’m very pleased to say that a lot of the water damages could be fixed. UMhlanga is back to normal, with a few exceptions, which is quite impressive considering the deluge of rain we had,” said MacLarty.
She said that the URRA has been working closely with Ward 35 councillor, Nicole Bollman, to ensure that the city gets to work in repairing the damages as soon as possible. “They city has been at work. There is quite a lot of damages that they have to deal with, some more significant than the others and those that have been put on a priority list. I am also following-up just to make sure that they are still receiving priority. There are people in a certain residential area that are trapped inside their homes and can’t get out due to the sink hole in their driveway,” said MacLarty.
She said residents of Newlands Drive and Chartwell Drive, which Cllr Bollman flagged as areas in need of critical intervention, are mostly worried about their security now as the walls and entrances of their properties have been compromised.
“They are all extremely worried about repairs and I do not think that repairs to the property can be done overnight because the sinkholes will continue sinking for a while. They are monitoring the situation and the people are terribly upset. They are worried about their security and safety and more collapsing. We can’t blame the municipality here. I don’t think the problem was stormwater drains being blocked, its just that the rainfall was far too much for them to cope. However, while we were in quite a state on Sunday, most of us are back to normal except for the few exceptions.”
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, said that mop-up operations were underway, including the removal of fallen trees, while several roads that were washed away will remain closed for safety reasons.
MEC Sithole-Moloi has expressed her heartfelt condolences to all the families that have lost their loved ones as a result of inclement weather. She also expressed her sympathy to all who have suffered losses, including damage to their valuables and businesses and has activated other sector departments to come on board to provide all forms of assistance to communities in need during this difficult period.
“Our province has been hard hit by yet another devastating flood. We have received reports that schools, roads, and bridges in municipalities such as eThekwini, Ndwedwe and KwaDukuza have been severely damaged. Teams are on the ground to assess the damage and provide emergency relief to those affected. Disaster Management teams are compiling reports to ensure a consolidated government response. We also have law enforcement agencies on the ground, including Road Traffic Inspectorates who are diverting traffic in areas where transport infrastructure has been washed away.
We are also coordinating with other departments such as Social Development, Home Affairs, Human Settlements, Education, and Eskom to assist us in providing a comprehensive response in all aspects. Our teams will be in contact with all the affected families to provide the necessary support we normally provide to the victims,” said MEC Sithole-Moloi.
Work is underway to determine the cost of the damage done by the recent floods. With more heavy rains expected this week, eThekwini has called for residents to be more vigilant and cautious. To report emergencies, contact 031 361 0000.
