Residents rage after heavy floods
ANC-led council blamed for poor drainage plan
As mop-up operations began in earnest in flood-ravaged KwaMashu yesterday, angry residents burned ANC T-shirts and pointed fingers at the ruling party-led municipality for the Durban township’s poor drainage systems.
Sunday brought disaster to many parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as heavy downpours and flash floods caused havoc and claimed the lives of at least six people while others were reported missing. Worst hit was KwaMashu, north of Durban, where roads were flooded and cars and homes were damaged by the raging water. Yesterday, fed-up residents took to the streets, burning rubble in a bid to draw the government’s attention to their pleas for an upgraded drainage system. Others took to social media to vent their frustration, claiming excessive litter thrown into stormwater drains had caused a blockage and led to the flooding. “Municipality must fix the stormwater drains,” one social media user said. Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube conducted a site inspection of the flood-hit area to assess the damage and assure residents that a plan was in place to house displaced people. They also visited the family where three members – a mother, father and child – were washed away. The bodies of the father and a child have been recovered, but the mother is still missing. In another incident, two people were reported missing in the Verulam area, while a woman drowned in Blackburn when her car was swept into a swollen river.
“Police search is still ongoing for all the missing persons. The scale of devastation is overwhelming,” said Dube-Ncube. EFF MP Marshall Dlamini also arrived with his entourage “to assess the damage for ourselves and find solutions to what can be done immediately”.
The MEC appealed to political parties to not “politicise” disasters, as some politicians were seen canvassing for votes instead of supporting the affected residents. “I know it is election season, but the values of ubuntu must not desert us even in an election season. We have deaths, kids who need uniforms, families who need food, and all need support... This is the time to assist people in need, not to resort to empty publicity stunts,” she said. Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said a team was hard at work “unblocking and mopping up”.
“We are trying our level best to ensure that nothing in our drainage system is impeding water to flow with ease,” said Mayisela. “However, we require our communities to play their part by refraining from disposing of solid waste in our drainage system.”
Resident Mduduzi Xulu, a wheelchair user, had to be carried out of his flooded home by friends. “My wheelchair was damaged by the water. I did not expect the storm to cause such damage. I was quite scared. Our stormwater drainage system is bad. This is not the first time that we have had such flooding. They have to come up with a solution.” Unemployed TB sufferer Mondli Cele said about the flooding: “I am sick, and I don’t work. I really don’t know how I am going to repair my house because I don’t have any money. I will have to live with my cousin until everything dries up. There is too much damage here. The government makes too many promises. How can they help me now?”
Jacinta Ngobese, who started a blanket and food drive yesterday, said many residents were being housed in halls.