The KwaZulu-Natal Government is responding to several incidents caused by heavy rains accompanied by strong wind and hail storms that battered parts of the province, resulting in extensive damage to households and infrastructure.
So far five people have sadly lost their lives in the eThekwini Metro which has been hardest hit and dozens of people are being treated for injuries in health care facilities.
A Level 4 alert of disruptive rains had been predicted by the South African Weather Services along the coast of the province with the high probability of flooding.
Early reports indicate that several areas within eThekwini Metro have been affected, with some roads flooded, trees fallen, and significant damage to infrastructure such as power lines and roads.
The uThongathi area, in the north of Durban has recorded the most incidents, with several homes severely damaged, roofs blown off, and trees falling on electricity lines causing power outages.
Other areas around Durban, including Umgababa, Durban Central, and the western parts of the city, also experienced heavy rainfall, leading to flooding of some households and roads.
The strong winds also affected communities in the Amajuba District and Umzinyathi District, where houses were damaged by the strong winds in Newcastle, Dannhauser, Nquthu, and surrounding areas.
The disaster teams are currently assessing the extent of the damages while providing immediate reliefs including accommodating displaced residents in government buildings.
The provincial government, through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has coordinated the disaster team from affected municipalities to provide temporary shelter to those who may need it.
Public facilities have been opened as safe havens for the affected communities as the assessment continues. Roads are being cleared using TLBs to ensure that rescue workers are able to attend to the injured.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube will lead the government delegation tomorrow to visit the area of oThongathi for assessment and provision of disaster relief.
Members of the media are invited to join Premier Dube-Ncube, MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, and eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.
Details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Meeting Point: uThongathi Community Hall
Time: 10:00
ENDS
For media inquiries, please contact:
Siboniso Mngadi, COGTA Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 078 1063 911
Premier’s Acting Media Liaison Joseph Cubai
Cell: 060 534 4187
Nonala Ndlovu, COGTA Head of Communications
Cell: 066 2826 903
EThekwini Municipality Spokesperson Gugu Sisilana
Cell: 082 889 3474
Head of Provincial Government Communication Bongi Gwala
Cell: 072 793 4757
