Search and rescue teams recovered the body of one woman after flash floods swept through an informal settlement in New Hanover, in the uMshwathi Local Municipality, overnight. Two other people remain missing after being washed away by raging floodwaters.
The settlement, built on a flood plain, was inundated following heavy rainfall that lashed parts of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Saturday night into Sunday morning. More than 100 residents have been left homeless and are now being provided with temporary shelter.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Siboniso Duma, said the department is fast-tracking the deployment of Temporary Residential Units (TRUs).
“We have already engaged the mayor and councillors to identify suitable land. The national Minister of Human Settlements will visit the area next Monday. This disaster is being treated with the utmost seriousness,” Duma said.
uMshwathi Mayor Mandla Zondi confirmed that many of the displaced residents are foreign nationals, including citizens of Lesotho. He said attempts to move people to the local community hall and a nearby school were initially delayed by the need to verify identities.
“Before placing anyone in municipal facilities we have to verify and register them. Some residents, particularly foreign nationals, indicated they would find their own alternative accommodation. The offer still stands – our community hall and school remain open to everyone who has been displaced,” Zondi said.
Widespread damage to roads, bridges and homes has been reported in the area, with several low-lying access routes still impassable on Sunday afternoon.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has sent condolences to the affected families and instructed the provincial disaster management teams to conduct a full needs assessment. National government support, including short-term housing, is being coordinated.
The South African Weather Service has warned of more heavy rain in parts of the province on Monday, with a high probability of further flooding in low-lying areas.
Disaster management officials have urged residents to avoid crossing flooded rivers and roads until conditions improve.