WATCH | Relief as KZN flood victims moved from community halls

The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has begun the process of moving 1,046 flood victims from community halls to provide them with housing before Christmas.  

In April, thousands of KwaZulu-Natal residents were left homeless after the province was hit by floods, leaving more than 400 dead. 

The province said rebuilding has seen billions of rand worth of infrastructure being erected and massive repair work carried out to raise homes and buildings.

On Tuesday, the province officially opened Astra Building in Durban CBD, where it will house 531 people.  

Each housing unit, which houses from four to six people, has beds, a fridge, toilets and showers. 

KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said families would now be able to plot their future in a safe and habitable place. She said one of the saddest chapters for all those who lost their homes during the floods was being closed.

“In the next seven days, there will be no flood victims living in a centre in KwaZulu-Natal. We have mobilised all available resources and are undertaking every effort to ensure that we rebuild and rehouse flood victims. No one is left behind,” she said. 

She said three buildings were being made available:

• Astra Building in Russel Street;
• O’Flaherty Building in Sydenham; and
• Pinetown Student Village.

A number of centres, including Gospel Church, Chesterville, Mountview Hall, uMlazi K, Emmaus, Tshelimnyama and Nazareth would be shut down, she said. The relocation of 195 people from Mpola Hall, 158 from Rurafo Hall, 199 from Isithundu Hill, 120 from Mariannridge and 23 from Truro Hall in Pietermaritzburg was planned this week.

Dube-Ncube said the province had made significant progress considering that more than 14,449 people were displaced, with 4,983 left homeless. Seven months later, she said, “We are close to pronouncing that no flood victims will spend Christmas in centres.

“We undertook extensive work to restore basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation and waste removal.  This work still continues as we rebuild major roads and infrastructure that was washed away. We are working as fast as we can to end all the frustration and anxiety.”  

The province has recently experienced more torrential rains. Dube-Ncube said reports indicated the rain would subside from Tuesday to Thursday. However, there were predictions the inclement weather would return at the weekend.  

“The weather service has cautioned us that for the next three months the province is likely to receive more rain.  The disaster teams have been placed on full alert and all joint operation centres activated.”

Speaking to TimesLIVE, one of the flood victims, Sandile Masuku, said he was pleased they will no longer be living in a hall. 

Masuku, who was living at Mountview Hall in Verulam, said life had been difficult in the past seven months.

“I'm happy to be here. We have been struggling really badly. At least here we will be staying in different and secure structures, unlike the halls, where men and women were confined under one roof,” he said.

“Some of the people would come back drunk or drink inside the hall, yet there are children and that was not good. There was no privacy and the situation made you feel that you have nothing.”

He added he had hopes for a better life going forward.

TimesLIVE

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