The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube has extended her condolences to the families of the flood victims in the Province. So far seven people tragically lost their lives in the Province following heavy rains over the Christmas period. This figure includes six people who died when a riverbank collapsed in Ladysmith and in a seperate incident a body of an 8-year old child was discovered in Mandeni, on Tuesday.
“On behalf of the Provincial Government we would like to send our condolences to the families of the victims. The MEC for Cooperative Governance Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi has already been on the ground to assess the damage and meet with the families” said Premier Dube-Ncube
After visiting the scene on Wednesday to oversee the distribution of disaster relief and monitor the ongoing search and rescue operation MEC Sithole-Moloi announced that the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government will offer support to the families of the flood victims in Ladysmith, where six people tragically lost their lives.
“We met with the families of the victims and reassured them that government will provide full support during this distressing period” said MEC Sithole-Moloi
Search and rescue teams have been intensified and will work tirelessly in their efforts to find the missing victims.
As of Wednesday, the search and rescue teams, led by the SAPS K9 Unit, along with IPSS Medical Rescue and the Al-Imdaad Foundation for Disaster Response, intensified their search efforts in the Ladysmith area.
Additionally, the number of missing individuals has risen to 11, as another man was reported missing in Ladysmith. It is alleged that he had attempted to save those who were washed away on Sunday night.
MEC Sithole-Moloi also paid a visit to the Msimango family in the Rossboom area, a few KM from Ladysmith Town, which was severely affected by this devastating incident. The Msimango family lost six of its members, with three being discovered while the other three remain among the 12 that are still missing.
She further led the delegation of disaster teams that distributed disaster relief, including blankets, mattresses and essential amenities, to those who have lost everything.
"As a department, we have been providing assistance to all the affected families in collaboration with our disaster response partners. We are joined by various departments such as human settlement and social development, with representatives from the national department also present. We wish to assure the affected families that we will stand by them throughout this difficult period. Counselling services will be made available, and preparations for the burials of those who have passed away are underway. Moreover, we want to assure the families that we will exert every effort to locate those who are still missing.
As standard procedure, the disaster management teams will continue their assessments, working closely with all municipalities in our province. Our goal is to ensure that everyone is assessed and receives the necessary assistance from the government and our social partners. The disaster team will maintain close coordination with the affected families. We have also activated Home Affairs and Social Development to provide support where some families have lost personal documents."
