DURBAN – A woman whose brother died after being swept away by last week’s floods says she is hopeful that the EFF will assist her, this after party leader Julius Malema visited her at the Quarry Road informal settlement in Reservoir Hills on Thursday.
Noluvo Finiza described the shock she experienced when she saw waves of water sweeping through the informal settlement, washing away dwellings.
“I have never seen water reaching such high levels in all of my life. I moved from one place to another seeking refuge, by then my belongings including my spaza shop was gone,” said Finiza describing the ordeal.
She added that for days she waited to hear from her brother Azola Finiza, 29, without any response.
Four days later, she recalled, a local who liked fishing told them that a foul smell was emerging along the river route.
“Luckily, when a search party was sent out his body was found and is at the mortuary and we are readying to take his remains home to the Eastern Cape,” she explained.
Finiza expressed her gratitude to Malema for paying her a visit and pledging assistance to her.
She lamented how eThekwini Municipality had promised to assist the local residents but had not done so.
“We have been waiting for days now without seeing any movement from the municipality,” she concluded.
Malema criticised the government for failing to bring about immediate assistance to community members.
“People have lost their loved ones and their belongings. What should be happening is that Home Affairs should be here, ensuring that people have identity documents and their birth certificates so that they can access government services,” said Malema.
He added that they would provide more aid but would channel it through the local church which was already providing assistance in the form of meals and shelter.
ALSO READ:
– Chapter nine watchdog groups to monitor spending of KZN disaster relief funds
– LOOK: Relief efforts continue to assist people most affected by devastating KZN floods
MOST READ:
– Couple arrested for allegedly defrauding the KZN Blind and Deaf Society of R12m
– ‘Witnesses’ to Premier Sihle Zikalala’s 'water tanker' debacle at his home, tell a different story