As the KwaZulu-Natal government applies for R3bn in disaster management relief from the national government after severe downpours ravaged the province, civil society organisations, churches and government departments have been hard at work helping the homeless and providing food and temporary shelter.
Lightning and drownings brought the death tally to 25 as rivers burst their banks. One person is still missing.
The province was lashed with heavy rain over December and into January, leaving a trail of disaster. Nearly 11,000 people were affected and many lost everything. A total of 773 houses were destroyed and 2,095 partly destroyed.
The province is working around the clock to ensure that affected schools — 137 were destroyed — have adequate accommodation for learning and administrative purposes when schooling resumes today.
The provincial government has appointed the Independent Development Trust to undertake urgent repairs to schools and supply mobile classrooms as temporary relief where required.
Roads and bridges that were damaged will need to be repaired. This will include regravelling, drainage improvements and pothole repairs.
The provincial disaster management centre reported that 205 homes were damaged by strong winds, lightning, structural fires, and heavy rain and hail.
The agricultural sector also suffered damage including the flooding of grazing camps and damage to structural infrastructure. This has affected beef production, pig furrowing houses and chicken houses, as well as dip tanks, and is a setback to providing food security in the region. Electricity pylons were knocked out in several areas of Pietermaritzburg, leaving many households in darkness.
The provincial disaster management centre estimates it will cost R3.3bn to repair the damage. To obtain funds to address the crisis, KwaZulu-Natal has called on the national government to declare the province a national disaster. This will allow access to emergency funds and empower the province to reallocate existing budgets and grants to address urgent needs.
Premier Sihle Zikalala called an urgent provincial executive committee meeting late last week to assess the damage and request a state of disaster for the region.
“The province will request national government to declare a provincial state of disaster in terms of section 41 of the Disaster Management Act. The state of disaster will allow for the mobilisation of financial resources from the national sphere of government and support the reprioritisation and reallocation of budgets and grants to repair and recover from the disaster,” Zikalala said.
“The declaration will also allow access to additional post-disaster recovery grants to implement repairs and recovery programmes.”
Zikalala said food parcels, school uniforms, cooked meals and temporary shelters had been provided to those who needed these. “The provincial department of human settlements has started implementing interventions in line with the beneficiary lists for temporary residential accommodation and/or provision of building material to the affected households.”
Humanitarian relief organisation Gift of the Givers said the damage in parts of KwaZulu-Natal has left families destitute. Founder Imtiaz Sooliman said: “It has been devastating. We sent out our teams to assess the situation in several areas, especially in rural areas outside Pietermaritzburg.
“We handed out food, mattresses and plastic sheeting so roofs could be covered in communities outside Howick, including the Nzuzwenhle informal settlement. We also assisted families in the Swayimane area where homes were destroyed in heavy storms.”
Church leader Thulani Ndlazi from the Berea Congregational Church and the Agano Foundation said requests for food came from many areas. “We’ve helped old-age homes in Durban, Pinetown and Lamontville,” he said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.