KZN government sends relief after heavy rain and winds destroy homes in Nkandla

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma says relief teams are being sent to the Northern parts of the province after homes in Nkandla were destroyed and families displaced by horror storms.

“Working with a team from the National Department of Human Settlements, we are currently intervening in municipalities where heavy rainfall and strong winds resulted in the destruction of houses,” he said on Monday.

Other homes were simply flooded, with belongings washed away.

Former president Jacob Zuma’s homestead was reportedly spared any damage.

Duma said eight temporary residential units were being procured to assist families whose houses were destroyed in Nkandla, while four other families will receive building materials.

Last week, the humanitarian relief organisation Gift of the Givers handed over food, blankets, and other resources to affected communities.

Wet roads

Rainy weather had wreaked havoc in the province. Eskom confirmed electricity outages in several areas, including Nkandla. There has also been a surge in road fatalities on the popular N2 and N3 routes in the first week of the new year.

“Since the 1st of January, around 10 people have died on our roads. With the rain, the roads are slippery. We are requesting motorists to be extra careful,” said Duma

ALSO READ: Great exodus on N3 as holidaymakers trek to Gauteng from Durban

More rain to come?

Duma’s comments come as the SA Weather Service warned of heavy storms and further flooding on Monday.

A level 6 warning was upgraded in severity to level 8 for areas along the coast.

The following areas are expected to be affected: Big Five Hlabisa, Hluhluwe, Ethekwini, Jozini, KwaDukuza, Mandeni, Maphumulo, Mkhambathini, Mthonjaneni, Ndwedwe, Nongoma, Ray Nkonyeni, Umdoni, Umhlabuyalingana, uMhlathuze, uMlalazi, Umzumbe and uPhongolo.

Other parts of the country also hit by storms

An orange level 5 warning for disruptive rain and flooding was also issued for Gauteng, south-central Limpopo, the Highveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga, the north-eastern parts of the Free State, and the south-western parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

ALSO READ: Heavy rain will continue to pummel parts of SA on Monday

In Welkom, storms on Sunday damaged homes, schools, businesses and the local fire station.

While in the North West province, storms uprooted trees and damaged vehicles at the popular Sun City resort.

No deaths or injuries were reported.

Additional reporting by Vhahangwele Nemakonde and Faizel Patel