Several homes were damaged in last week’s tornado in oThongathi, north of Durban. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
Durban — With the estimated costs to rebuild disaster-hit areas in KwaZulu-Natal amounting to R1.3 billion, the government on Tuesday gazetted the province as a national disaster.
Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Thembi Nkadimeng said the government at the national level will collaborate with the province and the municipalities to try to bring people’s lives to normality following last week’s disaster which left a trail of destruction in the province.
Nkadimeng was speaking during an oversight visit to oThongathi on Wednesday as mop-up, recovery, and relief efforts continue.
The oThongathi area was the hardest hit by the heavy rains and strong winds. The South African Weather Service (Saws) has since classified the disaster as a tornado rated as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with estimated wind speeds of 225 to 265km/h that occurred within the tornado’s path.
Last week’s disaster resulted in the deaths of 12 people, and 7 000 households were affected, leaving survivors to rebuild their destroyed or damaged homes.
In a media statement, KZN Cogta spokesperson Siboniso Mngadi said: “At this stage, the estimated cost of damage amounts to over R1.3bn for the entire province, with eThekwini metro alone accounting for over R480 million. Ongoing assessments indicate that over 7 000 households so far have been affected. About 20 schools were severely damaged, and roads, bridges, community halls, and electricity infrastructure have also been impacted.”
On Wednesday, the National Department of Human Settlements delivered the first batch of building materials that benefited about 674 households at eMagwaveni in oThongathi.
Donors and NGOs started delivering materials on Tuesday.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has lauded all government departments, public entities, and social partners who have been at the forefront of assisting the storm victims.
“As the provincial government, we are pleased with the support and commitment displayed by various departments and social partners in assisting families in distress. While our aim is not to keep families in mass care centres, we are satisfied with the services the government is providing to the affected families,” said Dube-Ncube.
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