Officials hold thumbs in aftermath of heavy rain
AUTHORIES are breathing a little easier as there have not been any reports of fatalities in the Pietermaritzburg area following heavy rain on Wednesday, which resulted in the umsunduzi River breaking its banks and causing extensive flooding.
According to Msunduzi Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, the incident had caused a significant amount damage to property.
He said 30 families, numbering 78 people, had been affected.
Nineteen families who were badly affected by the flood waters were relocated and sheltered at a mosque at Peace Valley in ward 23, Thebolla said.
He said that the municipality was continuing to receive reports of roads and bridges that had been blocked and, or, damaged and were, therefore, inaccessible because of mudslides, which might restrict service delivery in the area.
The MEC of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sihle Zikalala said that the number of people affected by the heavy rain had yet to be determined as teams were still busy assessing the damage as mopping-up operations got underway.
Zikalala joined the leadership of the umgungundlovu District and umsunduzi Local Municipality, in leading clean-up yesterday).
“The impact of yesterday’s (Wednesday) incident does not only stop in
Peace Valley, but other communities around Pietermaritzburg have been affected and our teams are deployed to assess the extent of the damages in these areas,” he said.
“We are grateful that no life was lost, but are gravely concerned about the welfare of the communities that live in areas that are unsafe since they are prone to flooding and other weather-related incidents,” said Zikalala.
He said the provincial Disaster Management Centre would continue to work closely with municipalities to ensure that relief was rolled out to the communities that were affected.
Zikalala warned residents about building in low-lying areas near rivers, because of the potential risk to them and their families.
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-ncube, on behalf of the provincial government, expressed sympathy with the people of umsunduzi whose houses were flooded.
She called on disaster teams to provide immediate assistance, with priority given to children who are currently writing exams, the elderly and families that are now homeless.
“The flooding comes as the province is hard at work rebuilding infrastructure and restoring services that were disrupted during the April and May floods,” she said.
She called on citizens to remain vigilant and to be on the alert to unpredictable weather conditions.
Dube-ncube commended the disaster management teams, councillors and mayors who were the first responders in aid of the affected communities last night.
“We thank the Almighty that no deaths or casualties have been reported, but the provincial government will continue to closely monitor developments and provide support to the affected communities including socio-psychological support where appropriate,” said Dube-ncube.