Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
24 January 2024 | 13:50 CAT

Parts of KwaZulu-Natal Declared Disaster Areas Amidst Deadly Floods. Photo/Central News

The government has intervened, and a number of municipalities that were hard hit by the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal have been classified as disaster areas amid calls for the president to declare a state of disaster for parts of the province.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Thembi Nkadimeng said the National Disaster Management Centre’s decision to classify some municipalities affected by floods as disaster areas enables them to expedite the repair of damaged infrastructure.

The disaster areas include the municipalities of Ilembe, Ugu, and UMzinyathi, as well as the hardest-hit eThekwini Metro and uThukela District, which suffered about R2 billion worth of damage.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, the leader of the IFP, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said that the IFP welcomes the department’s decision and its request to the government to declare the areas that have been hit several times as disaster areas.

Hlabisa explains, “The provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the local municipalities, cannot be in a position to generate the income to fix the infrastructure.”

Heavy rains have ravaged KwaZulu-Natal since mid-December, spilling over to the new year.

Ladysmith, which falls under UThukela District, has recorded 26 fatalities due to inclement weather during the festive season.

“The hardest-hit UThukela District’s infrastructure was completely destroyed, including roads, bridges, schools, and households, which requires billions of rands to rebuild for life to return to normal,” says Hlabisa.

The department believes that the impact of natural disasters is made worse by the ongoing effects of climate change, which has brought unprecedented weather patterns.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.