A delegation led by Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane (right), visited Lamontville flood victims at Impala Holiday Flats.
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
The National Department of Human Settlements suggests that they build differently and build in different areas following deadly heavy rains and flooding in KwaZulu-Natal in recent weeks.
At least 20 people have died following heavy rains and flooding in KZN over the last two weeks.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane is in KZN to discuss various human settlement interventions with the provincial and local spheres following the recent and ongoing floods in the province.
Heavy rains and flooding led to the deaths of several people, destruction of infrastructure and houses, leaving people homeless and displaced.
KZN Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma and eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba accompanied Simelane.
Lamontville flood victim Ntombikhona Mhlongo, whose mother, Zondeni Velephi Gcabashe, is yet to be found, said: “We’re living, but it’s difficult. What makes it worse is the searchers are slow on updates. From the 26th, we have to call and check. They only started moving because my uncle complained and asked if he had to ask the community for help by cutting away the reeds and searching. We only got the case number today, but those who know told us it’s not the case number.”
She said they only received communication today (Tuesday).
Lamontville flood victim Thembelihle Sibisi listening to Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane.
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Another flood victim Thembelihle Sibisi, 45, said she was woken up around 11pm and when she went outside the water was knee-high.
“I couldn’t save anything. Everything was left behind,” Sibisi said.
“We hope they could move us to proper housing and not the transit we lived in,” she said, after living in the transit camp since 2021.
Lamontville flood victims listen as Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane addresses them.
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Simelane said their ultimate test will be finding a permanent solution.
“We are looking into possibilities of purchase of land, purchase of buildings, reworking them, repurposing them into facilities and units that can be permanently given.”
She explained that not everyone, due to sentimental attachment, may not necessarily want to move.
“We are looking into a system where you have put a Temporary Relocation Unit (TRU), you allocate and you sort of build within a short space of time a permanent solution. But you also have to be mindful that not everybody… who has lost their house will qualify… with regard to receiving a house. That is why in the package of what we are doing, we are also distributing around 279 packages of building material for people to be able to rebuild,” said Simelane.
She also said they are trying to find solutions also of alternative building materials and alternative building systems.
“We now all can see that the inclement weather patterns in KZN overall look like we are going to be living with them for quite a bit of time.
“We need to build differently. We need to build in different areas. We need to massify in terms of how we build,” Simelane said.
KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma addressing the media.
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Duma described the events in Shallcross on Monday as unfortunate.
“There is that attitude and tendency of not in my backyard attitudes that we have seen from different streams, in particular Shallcross,” Duma said.
“We’re told that there was even an exchange of gunfire, which we must act upon because those rogue units are not going to take us back to what we've seen and envisaged.
“If we are told that we can’t build in my backyard, go to KwaMashu, Ntuzuma, not in this country, not in this lifetime.”
Duma stated that all individuals will be evacuated once the land has been identified.
“We’ve already spoken to the municipality. That the bylaws must be implemented to the tee. The law enforcement agencies, once the area has been identified, build new units and all those informal settlements must be destroyed and no one must be permitted or allowed just to build another structure.”
Between December 2024 and January 2025, 11 people died due to severe weather.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za