The bodies of three people who went missing during devastating floods in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands town of New Hanover in the uMshwathi local municipality have been found two weeks after the disaster.
The three people were washed away from their rented cottages on the banks of the Injisuthi River by raging floodwaters that tore through the community of Shiyabazali on November 23 and displaced more than 100 residents.
The body of a 53-year-old woman was discovered the next day, trapped under a tree in a forest just more than a kilometre from the cottages. The two others remained missing until Wednesday morning, when the KwaZulu-Natal co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department confirmed their bodies had been found.
Disaster teams are overseeing the recovery process, with identification procedures to follow in co-ordination with the families.
“The recovery of the two bodies means that all three individuals who went missing have now been accounted for,” said KZN Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi. “These developments bring us closer to closing a painful chapter for the New Hanover community in uMshwathi, which lost three lives due to severe weather conditions.”
Buthelezi said the discovery of the bodies was as a result of combined efforts by volunteers from the local community and disaster management teams. He has since dispatched senior officials from the provincial disaster management centre to ensure the recovery process is carried out with dignity and respect.
As the department we are managing the possibilities of relocating four families living in houses built by the government, as the policy does not allow them to benefit twice. Engineers will assess houses built away from the riverbank, which are also flooded during rainy days.”
— Siboniso Duma, KZN human settlements MEC
The landlord of the cottages, Mzwakhe Zondi, previously told TimesLIVE that all three victims were from the Eastern Cape and rented to be closer to work opportunities in the area.
Human settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said they would shut down the practice of renting out accommodation on riverbanks as part of their efforts to prevent future risks. “We have agreed that landlords who built houses along the riverbank will no longer be allowed to rent out their places,” he said. “Tenants will look for safe alternative places to rent.”
Duma also announced urgent assistance for nearly 19 homes that were destroyed by the floods and a recent hailstorm in New Hanover. Another of their interventions will see people living in mud or block houses that were not built by the government moved to temporary residential units, after which they will be demolished.
“As the department we are managing the possibilities of relocating four families living in houses built by the government, as the policy does not allow them to benefit twice,” he added. “Engineers will assess houses built away from the riverbank, which are also flooded during rainy days.”
Duma said human settlements minister Thembi Simelane’s visit to the area on Monday had strengthened the government’s intervention. He added that roving teams from his department have reported further housing damage in various district municipalities during a storm on Tuesday night.
“We are collating information and working with disaster teams to ensure that no-one is left behind.”
On transport safety, Duma confirmed that the Road Traffic Inspectorate team is monitoring traffic and ensuring motorists’ safety while engineers assess road infrastructure. “They will indicate if there is any need to close certain road networks. We urge motorists to keep a following distance and reduce speed.”
TimesLIVE
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