Floods bring death and devastation to community of New Hanover in KZN

The community of New Hanover in KwaZulu-Natal is still reeling after the heavy rains that fell on Sunday, 23 November.

“People need shelters to sleep. Many houses have been destroyed by floods; some have lost their loved ones,” said New Hanover resident Nondumiso Ntuli.

The body of one person who was swept away by the floodwaters has been found, while two people — a man and a woman — are still missing. About 100 people were displaced, most of whom live near a floodline in an informal settlement.

Gift of the Givers spokesperson Khulekani Kunene said, “Mostly mud houses and rental houses built on riverbanks were affected, impacting tenants and foreigners — making profiling challenging due to documentation concerns. uMshwathi Disaster Management believes they can handle the situation for now; Gift of the Givers remains on standby.”

The uMshwathi municipality said, “The floods have caused significant damage to infrastructure. Several houses were washed away, and key access routes have been severely affected, including the bridge connecting Wartburg and New Hanover, which has been extensively damaged.

“The municipality has activated its disaster management response. Arrangements have been made to support residents who have been left displaced. Community halls and a local school have been prepared to provide temporary shelter, food and other essential relief services.”

The Inkatha Freedom Party urged communities living in low-lying areas to remain vigilant as the province enters the heavy rain season.

“We further caution residents not to cross flooded or low-lying bridges and to adhere strictly to weather alerts issued by the South African Weather Service.”

The party commended the swift response and the neighbours who pulled together to assist those affected.

The Department of Transport and Human Settlements in the province is working with the national Department of Human Settlements to identify land to build temporary housing for the displaced residents.

The MEC for transport and human settlements, Siboniso Duma, said, “Undocumented foreign nationals, who are not in our population register, ran away when we asked them questions during the verification process. We were also in the process of bringing in the Department of Home Affairs when they disappeared.

“We are concerned about such people who are building on riverbanks and refusing to cooperate with officials. We remain grateful to the private donors who have provided meals, clothes and other items to the victims.”

Ndabezinhle Sibiya, the spokesperson for the KZN Department of Transport and Human Settlements, said: “Sadly, the informal settlements that were washed away were built in floodplains. We continue to plead with communities not to build in floodplains.” DM