CATO Crest resident Dumisane Hlongwa, who works as a security guard in Glenwood, was in the middle of his shift on Tuesday, June 27 when his family called with devastating news. Their home had flooded and most of their belongings had washed away. Hlongwa’s wife, children and two infant grandchildren had to run for their lives as water ran like a river through the Cato Crest Informal Settlement along Vusi Mzimela Road.
“That day, I don’t know how I worked. Only my body was here; my mind was there with my family. I was worried as we heard reports that people were being washed away,” he said. “I kept calling my wife throughout the night. I was even running to the garage to get more airtime.”
Sergeant Thabani Gumede, spokesperson for Cato Manor SAPS, said police were on the scene.
“There was a complaint received in connection with floods in Cato Crest area. The shacks affected were built along the river. Initially, we received reports that eight people had been washed away by the water. Of those, one person was found dead the next morning in the river. One person was electrocuted and killed on the Tuesday night, due to illegal power connections, when water flowed into their dwelling. Cato Manor SAPS was called to the scene, and our members called for ambulances and search-and-rescue teams,” said Gumede.
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He added that in the days that followed, bodies washed up at Maydon Wharf.
“Out of seven missing persons reported because of floods in Cato Crest, four bodies were found in the Maydon Wharf area and two bodies were found by Brighton SAPS in the beach area. Four bodies have been positively identified as Cato Crest residents,” said Gumede.
When Hlongwe returned home in Area 2 of Cato Crest Informal settlement at about 06:00 the next morning, after Tuesday’s storm, he was shocked to see the water line on the walls of his home – he said the water was well above knee height.
“I believe I was lucky that I didn’t lose my life, but it’s bad. The wardrobe I had is gone, so I have to start afresh. My family was clever – they grabbed all our IDs in time, but some certificates were lost, along with some of the children’s school clothes,” he said.
Hlongwe expressed his gratitude to the NGOs who worked to assist flood victims.
Death toll across the province
There were further deaths recorded across eThekwini and the province. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, deaths were recorded in Durban North (one person) and Pinetown (one person) while two bodies were recovered in Bayhead on Tuesday last week. The number of fatalities remains at one in the Ugu District, specifically recorded in Port Shepstone.
“Seven individuals are still reported missing,” confirmed KZN MEC for COGTA, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi.
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Heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds on Tuesday last week caused significant damage in various parts of the province. According to eThekwini spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo, preliminary assessments show that the areas that bore the brunt of the storm are Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, St Wendolins, Nazareth, New Germany, Westville, Reservoir Hills, Umkomaas, Mbumbulu and Folweni.
“A total of 138 houses were destroyed with 27 people currently being housed at Amaoti Hall, down from the initial 46. The families are being supported with necessities, such as meals, toiletries, blankets and mattresses. Teams from Human Settlements are finalising plans to resettle the families,” she said.
Khuzwayo said that damage to municipal infrastructure was extensive, particularly to the water and electricity network.
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