Africa-Press – South-Africa. Six people, including an infant, have died as a result of heavy torrential rains in KwaZulu-Natal over the past few days, and two people are missing.
The provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) department said the six people died in the Umkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, Umzinyathi and Amajuba districts.
“They have been the biggest casualties from the latest torrential rains that have been received over the past few days. Two people are reported as missing at this stage,” MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi said.
She said assessments indicated that 139 homes had been destroyed and 158 had been partially damaged by the storms.
“The disaster management teams are still continuing with assessments as different areas continue to receive more rain while the ground is already saturated with water.”
The MEC added that other damage included roads and bridges.
Sithole-Moloi also conveyed her condolences to the families of Nokulunga Mchunu, 22, and Thulani Mabaso, 52, who died in Danhausser; Thobile Innocentia Hadebe, 39, in eNdumeni; Skhulile Msweli, 25, in Mtubatuba; Lindani Dlamini, 17, who died in Jozini; and the family of the three-month-old infant who died in Newcastle.
Nkonzo Moses Buthelezi, 37, and Nomathemba Caroline Buthelezi, 42, both from the eNdumeni Local Municipality in Dundee, were swept away while attempting to cross a flooded river, Sithole-Moloi said.
“Disaster management personnel are still conducting search operations.”
She said the Cogta department and other state entities were still calculating the total cost of the damages.
“The president’s proclamation of a state of national disaster will allow affected institutions to re-prioritise their finances in order to better respond to the immediate issues presented by the devastation caused by heavy rains.”
Sithole-Moloi said the department would continue to engage with stakeholders “in a bid to look for long-term solutions to spatial planning-related issues that have resulted in recurring incidents in some of the areas”.
“Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an end in sight as the South African Weather Service has warned that the rains are set to continue throughout the summer season.”
“We cannot emphasise enough the need for communities to remain on high alert during this time in order to prevent further loss of lives and damage to property,” she said.
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