Sea Cow Lake family struggles to rebuild after devastating floods
Nkosinathi Mncwango, spoke to Northglen News about how the floods have affected both his and his family's lives.
THOUSANDS of people were displaced by the recent heavy torrential rains in KwaZulu-Natal that resulted in the loss of more than 440 lives and billions of rands worth of damage to infrastructure.
The floods also led to the destruction of homes, leaving many people homeless with just their clothes on their backs.
In the Siyathuthuka Informal Settlement in Sea Cow Lake, 87 homes were washed away by a large landslide and a further four were destroyed by the second round of heavy rains.
Many of those who lost everything now seek shelter at the Greenwood Park Community Hall on Chris Hani Road and face an uncertain future.
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One of those affected, Nkosinathi Mncwango, spoke to Northglen News about how the floods have affected both his and his family’s lives.
Mncwango’s informal dwelling was at the bottom of the hill that washed away, and he was lucky to escape serious harm.
“Part of my home was crushed by the other shacks falling down the hill, and the other part of my home was carried across Johanna Road onto the grassy bank next to the river. It was really scary at the time because we didn’t know what was going on. We had an NPO who set up a tent for us initially before we were moved to the community hall in Greenwood Park.
“As a family, we don’t know what the future holds as we’ve been told we cannot rebuild where our home was. The ground is too unstable, and if it rains again, there might be even greater destruction. We lost everything in the floods; my children, my wife and I made it out with just the clothes we had on. I know I can speak for other families when I say we are not sure what the future holds,” he said.
When the newspaper visited the area last week, Mncwango was salvaging items from the heap of mud and broken down homes that he could sell for cash.
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“I’m trying to do what I can to provide for my family. We are safe and being fed by the municipality, but I also need to consider what the future holds. I think every family that lived on the hill that collapsed is worried about where they will go or what can be done to rebuild their homes. I feel hopeless at this moment in time, and there is nothing I can do, which breaks my heart even more,” he said.
