KZN floods: SAHRC to monitor response
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is calling for a rapid response to the flash floods and adverse weather conditions by the government after about 25 people died in the province during the festive season.
The SAHRC called on the provincial government and relevant stakeholders to ensure rapid and constant responsiveness to this ongoing crisis.
The commission further called on communities to exercise caution during these periods and to aid their fellow residents where possible.
In Ladysmith, 22 bodies have been recovered and several are still missing after the banks of the Bell Spruit River burst causing flash floods in Ladysmith and the surrounding areas on Christmas Eve.
There have also been reported incidents of demise in other parts of the province, due to heavy rains or adverse weather conditions in the province.
On New Year’s Eve, a brief but intense rainstorm lasting about 15 minutes led to devastation to homes and infrastructure in Mandeni, and the drowning of a seven-year-old boy, whose body was subsequently recovered by the search and rescue team.
In Pietermaritzburg, Msunduzi emergency control responded to an incident involving a vehicle with three occupants that was swept away in the Msunduzi River, above Henley Dam, following heavy rains on Sunday.
The rain had caused the low-lying bridge to overflow, resulting in the car being washed away.
Search and Rescue teams working with IPSS Medical Rescue launched an operation and two people were recovered, one is still missing.
The weather warning continues this week, with heavy rain expected across parts of the province until tomorrow.
While the commission commended the swift action taken by the government, civil society, as well as all other stakeholders and citizens who rushed to the aid of those impacted by the adverse weather conditions, it called for the intensification of disaster preparedness plans, including recovery measures, amid adverse weather conditions that are anticipated to continue, so as to minimise further devastation and loss of human life.
The commission is concerned by the warnings of heavy rains during the upcoming weekend into the following week, as issued by the South African Weather Service (Saws). Should this materialise, this will exacerbate the flash floods and also set back the recovery efforts that are in place.
“The province is again affected by the floods, while still dealing or responding to some of the effects of the deadliest natural disaster (floods) that was experienced in April 2022, which resulted in more than 400 people losing their lives,” SAHRC KZN provincial manager, Pavershree Padayachee said.
The commission reiterated that lessons ought to be learnt from this recurring tragedy.
“Among others, greater attention should be directed to the concerns and effects of climate change and appropriate measures should be implemented timeously to minimise the devastating impact that has been plaguing the province,” said Padayachee.
She said an “all of society” approach was required to effectively mitigate against the compounding service delivery and infrastructure challenges in local municipalities throughout the country, and particularly in KZN.
In response, the KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said the relief provided, working together with organisations like Al-Imdaad, Red Cross, Gift of the Givers and IPSS Medical Rescue, has been in line with efforts to maintain human rights.
Referring to Ladysmith’s Christmas Eve flash floods, Cogta spokesperson, Siboniso Mngadi, said Ladysmith had a long history of flash floods caused by thunderstorms or slow-moving cut-off lows.
As a result, the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) has developed the mitigation and response plan for the Alfred Duma Municipality. Furthermore, the PDMC has assisted the municipality in securing funds from the National Disaster Management Centre to implement mitigation projects aimed at reducing or preventing the impact of flooding.
“We would also like to highlight that several projects valued at over 23 million are currently underway within the Alfred Duma municipality, as part of the draft mitigation and response plan,” he said.
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