The lungs in the community of Mzomusha, KwaBester, Nanda, have not been found in a house that was suspected to have been flooded with people inside during the floods last Friday.
This was said by one of the victims, Ms. Slindile Ndumo, when she spoke toOf this country yesterday.
Ms Ndumo said that although there were no bodies inside the house, they are still worried about their owners as they have not yet come forward.
“What we notice is that there are hills of mud left after all the water has been removed. We are afraid that it is possible that since they were not found inside the house, they might be stuck in the mud, as they were not even floating in the water when we blocked them,” said Ms. Ndumo.
He pointed out that no rescue work continued yesterday as no government workers came to clear the mud.
“We told them about our concern about those we do not see. Yesterday (he said on Wednesday) we told them about our concern but they did nothing as they just left after draining all the water. There is nothing else we can say because we told them,” he said.
He said that they are planning to think about themselves and have lost themselves as a society.
He revealed that the councilor had come and promised that they would be taken to live in a flat in the center of Durban while repairs were being made to install water and electricity to their residence in Tafuleni, Nanda.
However, he said they are worried that in all these programs, what will be said about the school children studying in the schools in this area.
He pointed out that they still need help, they don’t know who to turn to in order to get it.
“We don’t have much food. We ended up getting this little bit that Mrs (Sibongile) Khawula tried. We need food, soap to clean our houses and water-contaminated clothes, toiletries as well as a place to stay as we are still being harassed by people who are not affected in the area,” said Ms Ndumo.
The Minister of Human Settlements, Mr. Siboniso Duma, said that more than 230,000 liters of water were pumped into the area.
He complained that the improper disposal of waste led to the blockage of water pipes.
“During the cleaning, a lot of waste was found that was blocking it. It has been removed, the water is flowing,” said Duma.
He said there are 47 people, including children, who have been affected by this situation. These are part of nine families, which have been directly affected.
“They are a priority for us as the South African Weather Services (SAWS) predict that heavy rain is coming in March and April,” said Duma.
He said they have discussed this issue with the Minister of Human Settlements, Ms. Thembi Simelane, as well as the Mayor of Durban, Mr. Cyril Xaba.
He said that among the things they want to clarify is that two of the affected families have houses built by the department, and he said that the other seven are the owners of the houses that were destroyed by the floods.
“Since it will rain again, those who are willing to be removed from the area will be taken to Tafuleni. The municipality is speeding up the installation of electricity, water and sewerage infrastructure,” he said.