KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government Executive Council media briefing, on the
recent spate of disaster incidents in the province, held at the Premier's
Office in Pietermaritzburg
6 January 2009
On behalf of the Government of KwaZulu-Natal and all the people of the
province we wish to send our heartfelt condolences to all the families who have
lost their loved ones and those who have been affected after the province was
again last week pounded by ferocious storms which left a trail of
destruction.
As all of us are aware that the province of KwaZulu-Natal is still picking
up the pieces and tallying up the costs after, on Saturday, 3 January 2009,
large parts of the province which include areas under the uMgungundlovu
District Municipality, eThekwini Municipality, iLembe District Municipality,
Sisonke and uMzinyathi District Municipalities were hit by severe storms.
Since the incidents of storms were reported in the province, government has
been working around the clock to bring relief to the victims of these fierce
storms. We have established Joint Operation Centres in all the affected areas
which comprise of all government departments needed to intervene in situations
of this nature. These centres operate under the supervision of the Provincial
Disaster Management Centre which co-ordinates all disaster relief efforts in
KwaZulu-Natal.
As we speak our teams are continuing with work on the ground distributing
blankets, tents, food and other relevant necessities. At the same time we are
busy assessing the magnitude of the damage with a view to deciding what
additional measures government will need to take in order to restore the lives
of the affected communities to normality.
In terms of the current statistics, we have an estimated number of about 4
017 households that have been affected by the storms; a total number of 12 736
people affected and 83 people who have been displaced. Most of these people are
from Bhamshela which is under Indwedwe Municipality and from Umgungundlovu
District Municipality. Sadly, we have a total of 15 reported deaths as a result
of the storms. We have just learnt that an ANC Councillor in the uMtshezi
Municipality area has become the latest victim of these storms after his car
was washed away by the torrential rains. We want to stress that these figures
are subject to change owing to the fact that proper verification and mopping up
exercises are still ongoing.
The latest storms come at the time when the province is still reeling from
shock following a number of successive storms that have hit the province since
the month of October. We have had storms in Molweni, KwaMakhutha, Mbumbulu,
Amanzimtoti, Adams, Mondlo and eMnambithi to mention just a few areas. These
have not only caused massive destruction to infrastructure but have also
claimed lives and put a huge strain on government resources.
However, government continues to do everything in its power to mitigate the
impact of the disaster in the affected communities. We have assisted families
to bury their loved ones, we have provided medical care, we are also helping to
reconstruct houses and also repairing infrastructure.
In conclusion, we want to thank all the people of KwaZulu-Natal, the law
enforcement agencies and good Samaritans, ordinary people who have rallied to
the rescue of all the affected victims of these storms and dug deep into their
pockets to offer relief to all the affected families. As the government of
KwaZulu-Natal, we believe that the generosity that has been shown by the people
of the province during this difficult hour has not only served as an
inspiration to all of us but has reaffirmed our collective belief in the
resilience of the human spirit.
Anyone wishing to provide assistance is requested to contact Mr Duze from
the Provincial Disaster Management Centre on 033 897 5670.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Premier's Spokesperson
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Cell: 083 6444 050
E-mail: maistryl@premier.kzntl.gov.za
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
6 January 2009
Source: SAPA
