FOR the past seven months, flood victims have had to live a life none of them ever imagined.
Since the deadly floods destroyed their homes and left them destitute in April, they had to move into community halls, where they lived with several people. They had no privacy and peace, and the life they lived was an ongoing nightmare.
But on Tuesday, 13 December, thousands regained their privacy when they were moved to flats in the Durban CBD as KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube promised them that they would not spend Christmas in halls.
Dube-Ncube was accompanied by Human Settlements MEC Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba and eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda as they facilitated the relocation of more than 1 600 people, housed in mass care shelters.
She said when the province was hit by floods, they could not have imagined the sheer scale of the devastation to communities and people, or the destruction to infrastructure this would leave in its trail.
She said it was with pride that they were able to say the province was still standing firm.
You must be SIGNED IN to read comments
“For this, we owe a massive debt of gratitude to our communities, business and sponsors who refused to stand by but decided, together with government, to put the shoulder to the wheel and in resilience, became the reason we are able to stand tall here today,” she said.
Dube-Ncube said the rebuilding had seen billions of rands worth of infrastructure being erected and massive repair work being carried out to raise homes.
“We made the commitment to people that we will do everything in our power to ensure that before Christmas, all flood victims will move out of care centres and get housed in decent accommodation.”
She further said they had processed 1 046 families, and were housing 531 of them at the Astra Building.
“From the agony of being deprived of privacy and uncertainty, we have practically restored the dignity of victims. Families will now regroup and plot their future in a safe and habitable place,” she said, adding that in the next seven days, there would be no victim living a mass care centre.
“We have mobilised all available resources and are undertaking every effort to ensure that as we rebuild and rehouse flood victims, no one is left behind. Three buildings are being made available today, starting with Astra in Russel Street, O’Flaherty in Sydenham and Pine Town student village,” she said.
Dube-Ncube said this would see the 1 046 residents, who were accommodated at nine halls, being moved to the decent accommodation under the Transitional Emergency Accommodation programme.
“Mass care centres that will be shut down as a result of today’s development are the Gospel Church, Chesterville, Mountview Hall, Umlazi K, Emaus, Tshelimnyama and Nazareth. Other Relocations are also planned for this week,” she said.
Senzi Mkhize (47) said this felt like a dream come true.
“Life in the centres was hard. I don’t want to go through that ever again. I’m grateful that today, I will sleep in comfort and warmth with my two children,” she said.
