KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli was accompanied by MEC for Sport Arts and Culture Mntomuhle Khawula (in grey shirt) and the Mayor of eThekwini Metro Councillor Cyril Xaba (blue track suit), as they visited families who were affected by the devastating floods last week.
Image: SUPPLIED
On Sunday, March 16, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, MEC for Sport Arts and Culture Mntomuhle Khawula and eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba visited families who were affected by the recent floods in Inanda, Nhlungwane and Lamontville.
Some of the victims have been relocated to family-friendly accommodation in the inner-city. Since February 19 to March 15, the recurring floods have claimed lives and damaged infrastructure in eThekwini. Close to 6 000 people and 1 452 houses have been affected.
Mayor Xaba conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and committed to work with all stakeholders to ensure that flood victims get settled in permanent homes.
“We urge members of the community to dispose waste in designated areas as debris gets deposited in storm water drainage systems during heavy rains. The flooding during storms is primarily influenced by the intensity of rainfall, the capacity of drainage systems, and debris carried by storm water,” said Mayor Xaba.
In eThekwini, storm water systems are designed to handle a 1-in-10-year storm event at critical points and a 1-in-3-year storm event in non-critical areas. Large canals and river protection works are built to withstand 1-in-50 or 1-in-100-year storm events. Over the past decade, the city has experienced an increasing frequency of severe floods, said Mayor Xaba.
To mitigate risks and protect lives and infrastructure, the municipality has implemented strategic interventions, including the Forecast Early Warning System (FEWS). The city remains committed to strengthening its storm water infrastructure and disaster preparedness to better protect residents and businesses from future extreme weather events, the Mayor said.
He thanked emergency teams for swiftly responding to incidents reported by residents.
“Through their swift response, we were able to rescue 10 people along M19. Our technical officials are currently restoring basic services such as water and electricity in all affected areas,” said Mayor Xaba. “All roads that have been flooded such as M4, M19 and N2 are being cleared. Stapleton Road and Heaton Nicholson Dive roads remain closed until further notice.”