4 March 2025
THE Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane will crisscross the rain-lashed disaster-prone KwaZulu Natal province on Tuesday and Wednesday to assess the damage following the floods in recent weeks.
Seven people were confirmed dead, while others were still missing without a trace following the torrential rainfall that led to a scene of destruction in eThekwini and many other parts of the province.
Many residents were left stranded in the aftermath of the chaos as their homes were washed away.
Her visit comes amid the deadlock between the provincial Department of Human Settlements and some community members in Shallcross, Chatsworth, who are opposed to the construction of low-cost housing for flood victims in the area.
A meeting to announce the plan to build houses in four portions of state-owned land in Shallcross ended dramatically when at least five gunshots were fired in the air, allegedly by some aggrieved community members.
Simelane will meet with the local MEC for Human Settlements Siboniso Duma and eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba before embarking on her visit to the flood victims, including bereaving families in Lamontville, south of Durban.
Much of the devastation during last week’s deluge centred around Lamontville and surrounding areas.
Source: IOL
