Durban: Disaster management teams in KwaZulu-Natal have been placed on high alert as more rain is expected ahead of Christmas after two people died tragically when a retaining wall collapsed during heavy rain on Saturday in the Nkanini informal settlement in Durban.
The eThekwini Municipality said its Disaster Management and Emergency Services responded to the incident in Cato Manor.
The City said the adverse weather experienced on December 21 led to the collapse of a retaining wall onto two informal structures in the settlement.
Emergency services, including the City’s disaster management, fire department, as well as SAPS, pathology, and emergency medical services (EMS), responded to the scene where people were found trapped under rubble.
The city said the multidisciplinary team worked through the night to aid the trapped victims.
“Unfortunately, two people, a 38-year-old male and an 18-year-old female from one structure, were declared deceased on the scene. No fatalities or other injuries were recorded from the second affected structure.”
According to the municipality, inclement weather affected other parts of the City, where incidents of fallen trees were reported on Warwick Avenue, Kennedy Road, Prospect Hall Road, Currie Road in Morningside and Inqawe Circle in uMlazi.
“The City’s disaster management and other emergency teams will provide humanitarian assistance to the affected victims and activate other government services required.”
Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) offered condolences to the families of the deceased.
AbM secretary general Thapelo Mohapi said the two people were asleep when the incident occurred.
“The family of the two deceased have come to fetch the bodies of the people who have lost their lives,” he said.
Mohapi said disaster management officials arrived at the scene and had taken details of those affected but have not yet responded.
“It is unfortunate that every time there are heavy rains and disasters, the poor and marginalised, particularly those who are living in shack settlements, continue to perish.”
Mohapi said the municipality has not done anything to address the issue that the organisation had raised in 2022.
“It shows that even when we have another disaster as that of 2022, more people will die, particularly in the shack settlements, because of the political will that is lacking from the municipality to provide direction and give suitable land, well-located land for the poor and marginalised,” he said.
He called on the municipality to provide suitable, well-located land to the people.
“The municipality will always react and provide disaster management, rather than actually provide
well-suitable land and provide basic services for the poor and marginalised people who are living under these conditions.”
KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi offered condolences to the affected families and urged residents across the province to heed weather warnings.
The department said inclement weather over the weekend affected many parts of the province. Heavy rains, coupled with strong winds, damaged electricity infrastructure, plunging several communities into darkness.
“The province is set to face disruptive rains from today [Monday] through Wednesday, as per the weather alert issued by the South African Weather Service (Saws),” the Cogta department said.
The department said a level 2 weather warning was issued for eThekwini, Harry Gwala, Ugu, uMkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, uThukela, iLembe and Amajuba for today.
“The risk of flooding is high in all these areas due to increased soil saturation from the weekend's heavy rains. Disaster management teams will continue to monitor the weather conditions in these areas.”
Cogta urged residents to take precautions to safeguard themselves during heavy rains. The weather service said it will be cloudy at first on Christmas morning, then overcast over most of KZN in the afternoon, with some areas experiencing slight rain later in the day towards the evening.
Pietermaritzburg will reach a maximum temperature of 28, Ladysmith 31, Underberg 26, Margate and Durban 26, and Richards Bay 26.