Eight weeks ago when we experienced the devastating floods, I was reminded of a popular quote: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassion of its members.”
As the water levels rose, people were displaced, families mourned the almost 500 fatalities and the humanitarian crisis unfolded, ordinary people and emergency services rallied together.
They just showed up, pulling trapped victims to safety, clearing blocked roads and offering any measure of support.
Within our ward 22 community, we suffered large-scale infrastructure damage, but we were thankful for the lives and homes spared.
Other KwaDukuza communities were not so lucky. Apart from the high number of deaths, more than 600 homes were lost, and these families remain trapped in community halls and alternative accommodation until they are allocated temporary residential units, funded by the KZN government.
While applications for funding have already been submitted to various tiers of government, such as national treasury and KZN Cogta, rehabilitation of critical infrastructure remains at a standstill.
We are in the unfortunate position that we are unable to provide affected communities with timeframes.
Any changes to the status quo will be communicated to residents by way of the various ward-based communication platforms.
Amid the despair, we have still been able to hand over the Umhlali post office rejuvenation project, a real feel-good story of a community coming together to restore an iconic building to its former glory.
On a similar subject, the long-awaited fencing of the Umhlali cemetery will begin in the new financial year, with a contractor already appointed last month.
This will certainly prevent this historical landmark being decimated any further.
Through the medium of this publication, I would like to thank every member of the ward 22 community for their committed efforts during a time of great difficulty.
The people of the Zulu kingdom have long regarded rain as a good omen and a blessing. This may not have been the case in April, but we are a resilient people and will overcome.
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