AS this week marks a year since the April floods of 2022, eThekwini Municipality mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda reported on the City’s progress in relocating flood victims and addressing infrastructural damage across the city.
Commenting on displaced flood victims, Kaunda said over 8 000 families were displaced by floods and moved to 120 mass care centres.
“Apart from relocating flood victims to temporary emergency accommodation, we are continuing to build storm-disaster houses for families who have sites that are located in safer places. To date, we have been able to build over 60 storm-disaster houses for flood victims,” said Kaunda.
In addition to this, R64m was spent to complete 11 flood-related water projects in areas such as Hillcrest, Dassenhoek, Reservoir Hills, Amanzimtoti, Wyebank and Chatsworth.
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“We are aware of the water challenges in areas such as Umlazi, Folweni, Ngonyameni, KwaMakhutha, Adams and Chatsworth. In collaboration with Umgeni Water, we are finalising plans to upgrade the Southern Aqueduct which, when completed, will provide these areas with a reliable supply of water at a cost of over R900m,” said Kaunda.
Sewage spills and tourism
Sewer infrastructure was also extensively damaged during the floods, resulting in ongoing sewage spills in most rivers and beaches. A year later, 19 out of Durban’s 23 beaches are open.
“Great progress has also been made in repairing damaged sewer lines in Peace Palm and Reitview in Phoenix. This has stopped sewer leakages which were contaminating the Ohlange River,” said Kaunda.
While damaged sewers crippled tourism over the festive period, Kaunda said thousands flocked to the Durban shores over the recent Easter weekend.
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“During the Easter holidays, the average occupancy at accommodation establishments was 65% compared to last year’s figure of 63% in the same period. We are pleased that when our visitors arrived, they found the city clean and safe because we have intensified our cleaning efforts, and we are sustaining this daily in all corners of the municipality. We continue to make a call to our residents and all our social partners to work with us to keep our city clean,” said Kaunda.
He added that the City hopes to capitalise on various events in the winter months.
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