Flood-hit areas classified as disaster areas

Several municipal areas hit hard by devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal have been classified as disaster areas amid calls for the president to declare a state of disaster for parts of the province.

Co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Thembi Nkadimeng said that the decision by the National Disaster Management Centre to classify municipal areas affected by floods as disaster areas enables them to expedite the repair of damaged infrastructure.

These include Uthukela, iLembe, Ugu, Umzinyathi, and eThekwini metro.

According to the Disaster Act, this classification will enable municipalities to reprioritise their budgets and focus on repair projects.

The classification will also facilitate access to additional funding from provincial and national departments for infrastructure repair of roads, bridges, and housing.

The department said the classification was done while processing for the declaration was under way. It said that this will enable repairs to start as quickly as possible.

Nkadimeng, accompanied by her deputy minister Parks Tau, MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, as well as district and local leadership visited the areas affected by floods in Ladysmith, Uthukela district, on Friday.

Uthukela district is one of the hardest-hit municipal areas with 26 deaths recorded due to the downpours. Nkadimeng said that while the disaster teams are finalising the assessment for the entire province, preliminary reports indicate it has suffered billions in damage.

She said that at this stage more than R2bn worth of infrastructure damage has been recorded in the district. It includes roads, bridges, schools and households.

Nkadimeng said the decision on a declaration of a state of disaster rests with President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will make a determination once the province has completed its assessment.

“The persistent rains have caused delays in our repair efforts and assessment as our teams are still on the ground.

“However, we appreciate the efforts made by municipalities such as eThekwini metro and in Uthukela, which has already initiated repairs using their available budget.

“We have assessed damage in areas such as KwaDukuza, Indwedwe and eThekwini. As you drive along you could see the devastation caused by the rains. We are also aware the storm is not over yet, which is also worrying,” said Nkadimeng.

Nkadimeng said that bridges along the N11 have collapsed and dams in the Ladysmith area require urgent attention.

Sithole-Moloi said they will urge the president to support calls for a state of disaster because the municipalities cannot afford the repairs.