KwaZulu-Natal Floods

News, facts, figures, interviews, views and analysis of the impact of the floods that ravaged KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

07 June 2022 - 15:03

Here's what you need to know about eThekwini's ...

eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said rapid population growth in rural areas over the past few years has led to ...

WATCH | Woman rescued after vehicle lands in hole ...

The flood-damaged R102 in Compensation, between Tongaat and Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal, has claimed another vehicle.

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

Water woes in KZN — Umgeni Water gives us a rundown

A contractor has been appointed to begin repair work on two large pipelines that transfer raw water from Nagle Dam to ...

By Shami Harichunder

Climate change and our built environment

SA risks more devastation effects if it doesn’t integrate and co-ordinate its disaster management response, write Hope ...

By Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu and Sue Bannister

SANDF steps in as water woes persist in flood-ravaged KZN

The South African National Defence Force has come to the rescue of Tongaat children, who would have missed their second ...

By Nivashni Nair and Orrin Singh

New Salga head laments lack of funds for flood-ravaged KZN

Newly elected chairperson of the SA Local Government Association (Salga) Thami Ntuli has expressed dismay over the ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

Vehicle lands on its roof after plunging off ...

Four people were trapped in a vehicle when it plunged off a flood-damaged road on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast on ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

New vehicle sales weather the storm of floods and fuel hikes

Local sales grow 2.1% compared to May last year, but bakkie sales take a big hit due to Toyota's flooded factory

Denis Droppa
Group motoring editor

Why must I pay for services if floods destroyed my home? eThekwini ...

The eThekwini municipality has issued a water billing explainer after the floods, spelling out how and why residents ...

EDITORIAL | KZN floods: it’s time the state sorted out the land issue

While the deputy president has highlighted the matter, others have been beating this drum for years

Opposition parties unmoved by Msunduzi mayor’s gesture to donate 10% of ...

Despite Msunduzi municipality mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla’s undertaking - together with some of his ANC counterparts - to ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

‘Give us building vouchers so we can buy material ...

KwaZulu-Natal government are struggling to find appropriate land to erect temporary residential units for thousands of ...

By Orrin Singh and Lwazi Hlangu

'Even in the midst of a crisis, transparency and accountability must not ...

As KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape begin to reprioritise their budgets to respond to the deadly floods as instructed ...

Amanda Khoza
Presidency reporter

UNDP SA to ensure KZN flood funds are used properly after R21m donation

"We want to assure people that the real time monitoring of the resources and the impact of the fund is very important," ...

Umdloti sisters crowdfund to help survive life ‘in quicksand’

The family home was caught in the weekend KZN floods, leaving the siblings with damage not covered by insurance

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

Eye spy an outcry as Durban plots to wheel out a R450m ‘white elephant’

In the wake of Covid, unrest and floods, a proposed giant Ferris wheel has become the eye of a public storm

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

Roads flooded? Try these tips before crossing

With devastating flash floods again hitting KwaZulu-Natal, and other provinces experiencing downpours, we look at how ...

By Phuti Mpyane

At least one dead after KZN weekend floods

At least one body has been recovered after heavy rain hit KwaZulu-Natal for the second time in two months at the ...

By Mfundo Mkhize and Lwazi Hlangu

From weather warnings to infrastructure damage — a brief timeline of the ...

Among areas visited by the premier are Bluff, uMdloti and Westbrook, where properties and other infrastructure were ...

KZN floods: Gungubele says R1bn is a contingency fund for when provincial ...

Minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele has confirmed that provincial departments have to use their own budgets in ...

Andisiwe Makinana
Political correspondent

Chances of finding 60 missing KZN flood victims virtually nil

While KwaZulu-Natal has been thrown into turmoil by a fresh bout of flooding that has already claimed one life, ...

Tanya Farber
Senior science reporter

KZN premier forced to evacuate family from home ...

KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala was forced to evacuate his family from their home in La Mercy, an area devastated ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter
News Editor's Choice

Flood-ravaged KZN to start picking up the pieces

Mop up operations were expected to begin in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday after heavy rain lashed the province over the ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

‘I need to go somewhere else to start a new life’ — Umdloti resident who ...

A Durban family said they will have to start a new life somewhere else after being stuck in a flooded building for the ...

By Lwazi Hlangu

Heavy rains halt visit by Ramaphosa and ANC top brass to KZN

Heavy rainfall predicted for KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday has forced the ANC to postpone the launch of the Letsema ...

By TimesLIVE

Properties, roads, bridges swept away by floods ...

The small KwaZulu-Natal north coast resort town of Umdloti has been ravaged by floods which damaged multimillion-rand ...

Isaac Mahlangu
Senior reporter

KZN Cogta MEC says more than 200 people evacuated from their homes ...

As KwaZulu-Natal continues to experience heavy rains that are causing floods in the area, more than 200 people were ...

KZN premier sounds urgent plea, emergency services on high alert as heavy ...

At least 190 elderly residents in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal had to be evacuated from their homes on Saturday night due to ...

WATCH | Torrential rain sparks killer flood warning on KZN coast

People in coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal were warned on Saturday to exercise extreme caution as heavy downpours sweep ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI | SA has been brought to its knees by a tired, soulless ...

The country is being dismantled bit by bit in broad daylight. Everything, it seems, is up for grabs, and cable theft is ...

Heavy rains halt visit by Ramaphosa and ANC top ...

Heavy rainfall predicted for KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday has forced the ANC to postpone the launch of the Letsema ...

By TimesLIVE

Flood warning issued for Durban and parts of KZN

The SA Weather Service has issued a yellow level 2 and level 4 disruptive rain warning for parts of KwaZulu-Natal for ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

RECORDED | KZN premier Sihle Zikalala gives update on flood disaster

KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala is giving an update on the recent flood disaster in the province after a ...

By TimesLIVE

Government trying to identify suitable land so KZN flood victims can ...

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala on Thursday said although service providers had been appointed to build 1,810 ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

KZN floods led to 30,000 job losses or interruptions, says Zikalala

About 30,000 employees across the manufacturing industry are out of work because of the KwaZulu-Natal floods last month ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

SA's flooding leaves survivors traumatised, ...

"The night the floods started, the sand looked like it was boiling from the water, the whole house was moving," said ...

By Kim Harrisberg

Thousands of children have died from malnutrition in the past five years

According to the figures supplied, the North West is the only province that showed a significant decrease in the number ...

Alex Patrick
Senior reporter

Government denies allegations National Treasury is refusing to release ...

Spokesperson Phumla Williams said the allegations are malicious and work is underway by government to help communities ...

Sapref continues contaminant cleanup a month after KZN floods

SA's largest crude oil refinery Sapref is forging ahead with its cleanup of contaminants that washed up onto beaches ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

WENDY KNOWLER | R400m: that’s how much ombuds had to force insurers to pay ...

‘Inordinate rise in funeral and credit insurance claims’, and good news for a man who had to swerve to avoid cows

Wendy Knowler
Consumer journalist

Worsening infrastructure and onerous red tape: ...

The poor management and development of critical infrastructure, as well as red tape for JSE-listed companies, is ...

Nick Wilson
Senior reporter

Sapref continues contaminant cleanup a month after KZN floods

SA's largest crude oil refinery Sapref is forging ahead with its cleanup of contaminants that washed up onto beaches ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

State-owned land identified in KZN for resettlement of families affected ...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government is mobilising all available resources to help provinces affected by the ...

Climate change doubles chance of repeat killer floods, say global experts

The floods that devastated parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape in April, killing 435 people,  were definitely ...

By TImesLIVE

SA cannot recover fully till KZN is back on track — Ramaphosa

The economic reconstruction and recovery under way across the country in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic cannot ...

By TIMESLIVE

SA cannot recover fully till KZN is back on track ...

The economic reconstruction and recovery under way across the country in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic cannot ...

By TIMESLIVE

ActionSA donates water tanks in KZN areas without ...

Residents of Tongaat and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal received much-needed water tanks after going a month without ...

Isaac Mahlangu
Senior reporter

Race against time to fix rail cargo crisis after ...

Logistics and transport experts say Transnet’s plan to get single line rail operations from Durban to Gauteng restored ...

Nick Wilson
Senior reporter

Durban’s DIY bridge repair team in demand from other stranded communities

Pompene River bridge team, consisting of 10 community activists from Shallcross, has been asked to repair the Hans ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter
Business Times Editor's Choice

OR Tambo fuel shortage hits airlines’ pockets hard

Airlines are spending as much as R1.5m on each flight to divert their aircraft for refuelling in Durban and Airports ...

Erika Gibson
Journalist

Climate change doubles chance of repeat killer floods, say global experts

The floods that devastated parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape in April, killing 435 people,  were definitely ...

By TImesLIVE

Flood-hit Durban school saved from closure by private college

A private higher education college has saved a severely flood-damaged Durban primary school from permanently shutting ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

Want to help KZN from Gauteng? Here's how you can ...

Donations can be dropped off at customer care centres and the city’s head office and administration building in ...

UN SA redirects R21m towards KZN flood disaster

The UN SA has reallocated R21m of its programming budget to support government’s response to flood-damaged ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

Service delivery in sharp focus at David Mabuza’s NCOP sitting

Deputy President David Mabuza has told MPs that progress has been made in addressing service delivery issues in several ...

Amanda Khoza
Presidency reporter

'Stay out of the water': Durban beaches remain closed due to high levels ...

Durban beaches remain closed on Thursday due to the high levels of E coli in the water.

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

WATCH | John Steenhuisen calls on Ramaphosa to keep to his promise to ...

"The president made a  lot of promises in parliament when we had the debate, but it turned out to be nothing more than ...

KZN flood got to patient files before digital ...

Provincial health department wants to expedite the introduction of its e-health system to avoid further record loss

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

KZN health halts maintenance work to pay for R200m flood repairs as it ...

The KwaZulu-Natal health department has been forced to put some planned maintenance on hold to channel money from its ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

eThekwini municipality commends Shallcross residents for rebuilding a ...

"The civic pride shown here encourages us as a city to also continue to work hard to ensure that our city is repaired ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

Shallcross residents rebuild flood-ravaged bridge in five days

A group of Shallcross residents rebuilt a bridge washed away in the recent deadly floods in KwaZulu-Natal within five ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

Floods will not hamper KZN matric mid-year exams

Mid-year matric examinations will not be affected by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal.

By LWAZI HLANGU

Sihle Zikalala expresses gratitude for donations ...

Those who donated to the province include the Motsepe Foundation, Gift of the Givers, Cosatu and the EFF.

The other casualty of the floods: mental equilibrium

So much was lost, in lives and possessions, that many survivors despair of ever emerging from their grief and ...

By Orrin Singh and Sandile Ndlovu

Here’s how Uber wants to help you donate towards relief efforts in KZN

E-hailing service Uber has partnered with Vuthu Culture, a KZN based non-profit organisation to offer free rides to ...

22 days without water pushes Tongaat residents to plan mass action

Residents in Tongaat, north of Durban, are planning to take the streets on Thursday in protest against not having a ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

LISTEN | Your children will not be able to escape the impact of climate ...

It is too late to avoid the impact of climate change which, according to experts at the Centre for Environmental ...

By Paige Muller

Flood impact won’t affect annual sardine run

The impact of the recent devastating floods on the ocean will not affect this year’s sardine run in KwaZulu-Natal.

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

Call for Sanral to improve 'safety measures' after vehicles crash into ...

An urgent appeal has been made to the SA National Roads Agency after three vehicles crashed into concrete barriers ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

More than R1m flood damage forces Durban's famous steam train to a halt

Famous Durban train has run out of steam, after the recent floods caused extensive damage and undermined the tracks.

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

WENDY KNOWLER | If you don’t want a flood of expenses, check your car ...

Recent KZN floods have proved the value of having the right cover, because you never know when a disaster will strike

Wendy Knowler
Consumer journalist

Parts of flood-hit eThekwini still without water, but province reports ...

Some flood-hit areas in Durban still have no access to water or are battling with irregular supply, KZN premier Sihle ...

Suthentira Govender
Senior reporter

LATEST NEWS

Put thousands affected in KZN floods in empty ...

The eThekwini municipality has called for empty hotels and hijacked buildings owned by the state to be renovated and ...

By Orrin Singh and Lwazi Hlangu

Grisly task of returning bones to cemetery left to traumatised residents

Ntuzuma locals claim authorities have yet to visit the area where skeletal remains were uprooted from graves during the ...

By Mfundo Mkhize

KZN pulls out the stops to help pupils after floods disrupt schooling

The provincial department of education proposes urgent interventions to help pupils catch up on missed classes.

Prega Govender
Journalist

KwaZulu-Natal, how's your mental health?

The stress of the deadly floods in KwaZulu-Natal has been described by many residents as a reminder of the riots and ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

WILLIAM GUMEDE | SA’s entire infrastructure is on the verge of total ...

Lack of infrastructure maintenance; corruption in which dodgy black empowerment companies gifted tenders build flimsy ...

LATEST NEWS

We must not neglect the kids who are the most ...

Too often, the biggest concerns around catastrophic disasters have to do with money, damage to roads, infrastructure ...

By BRUCE LAYZELL
Business Times Editor's Choice

‘Bounce Back’ billions on offer​

A R15bn credit guarantee scheme to help small and medium businesses recover from the ravages of Covid-19, the July ...

By NICK WILSON and DINEO FAKU

Q&A with minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele on public trust in ...

The KwaZulu-Natal floods have highlighted an alarming trust deficit between the government and the public. Chris Barron ...

By Chris Barron

‘The tears cannot hold themselves’, Nomzamo Mbatha recounts heartbreaking ...

“You ask what is needed? Boots. So we can go through the rubble and look for the lost bodies."

By Constance Gaanakgomo

It is a lie that we attained freedom on April 27

Wednesday April 27 marked the 28th anniversary of the first democratic elections in our country. I am reluctant to ...

By NELVIS QEKEMA

LATEST NEWS

Here's how much has been paid out to flood ...

The government has also received donations from citizens and non-governmental organisations for relief efforts, says ...

Warm and fuzzy: puppy rescue tales amid all the death from KZN floods

It’s unclear how many animals were killed in the recent deluge but several dogs, cats and reptiles got a second chance

Orrin Singh
Reporter

R190m bill to repair KZN hospitals and clinics damaged by floods: Phaahla

Health minister Joe Phaahla says his department will have to pay close to R190m to fix health infrastructure that was ...

Aphiwe Deklerk
Political reporter

Technicians fixing flood-damaged roads robbed of state vehicle outside ...

Technicians fixing a road that washed away during the recent floods were robbed of a provincial department of transport ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

Barricades 'maliciously' removed before police van nosedived on ...

Concrete barricades placed on the unstable R102 in KwaDukuza, north of Durban, were allegedly "maliciously" removed ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

LATEST NEWS

Councillor proposes mass funeral for 26 KZN flood ...

An eThekwini ward councillor on Tuesday called for a mass funeral in an area where about 26 people died in the recent ...

By Lwazi Hlangu

Floods create health risks: what to look out for and how to avoid them

The displacement of people and overcrowding that often results from flooding provides optimal conditions for outbreaks ...

By Juno Thomas and Linda Erasmus

Four celebs who have come out to aid KZN flood victims

These celebs did not hesitate to lend a hand

By Constance Gaanakgomo

Ramaphosa advised to be clear and present in managing of KZN flood disaster

Political parties presented a united front during the special joint sitting of the National Council of Provinces and ...

Amanda Khoza
Presidency reporter

RECORDED | President Ramaphosa addresses parliament on the impact of ...

President Cyril Ramaphosa is addressing the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces on the devastation ...

By TimesLIVE

LATEST NEWS

WATCH | Heartbreak as search goes on for missing ...

In this emotional feature, TimesLIVE brings you exclusive footage, images and interviews with those who have lost ...

By Orrin Singh, Emile Bosch and Sandile Ndlovu

Parliament establishes special committee to oversee flood relief & ...

Parliament has established a special committee to oversee the implementation of flood relief measures and rebuilding in ...

Andisiwe Makinana
Political correspondent

Education department wants KZN principals to accept pupils at schools with ...

In a public announcement shared by the eThekwini municipality, the education department says it does not want pupils to ...

Call for KZN health department to intervene as 'bodies piled on mortuary ...

Karl Dauth identified his son's body at the Phoenix mortuary on April 16. A week later, his son's body remained in the ...

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter

LATEST NEWS

R17bn — That’s the estimated cost of KZN floods ...

About 6,278 people are homeless while 7,245 people remain in shelters in eThekwini.

eThekwini official shot dead at water tanker filling point

An on-duty eThekwini municipality official was shot dead at a water tanker filling point in Ottawa on Saturday.

Floods and load-shedding a 'double whammy' for SA's economic prospects

The risks to SA’s economic prospects have risen after the floods in KwaZulu-Natal as the province faces a massive ...

Dineo Faku
Senior Reporter

Government revises KZN flood death toll from 448 to 435

The government has revised the death toll in the KwaZulu-Natal floods from 448 to 435.

Andisiwe Makinana
Political correspondent

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