Flood victims finally get homes after three years of suffering

• Nineteen flood affected families from Ntshongweni have moved into Temporary Residential Units after spending years in dangerous shelters with no proper water, electricity or sanitation.

• eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba says government plans to build another 1,200 subsidised homes to provide permanent housing for vulnerable families across the municipality.

After nearly three years of hardship, 19 families from Ntshongweni, west of Durban, finally have a safe roof over their heads.

The families, whose homes were destroyed during the devastating April 2022 floods, have moved into newly built Temporary Residential Units.

For many of them, it is the first time in years they can sleep without worrying about heavy rain, leaking roofs or dangerous living conditions.

The April 2022 floods were among the worst natural disasters in South Africa’s history.

More than 440 people died, thousands of homes were destroyed and billions of rands worth of damage was caused across KwaZulu-Natal.

Many families have been waiting years for permanent housing.

Before moving into the new units, the Ntshongweni families spent months living in a community hall.

They were later moved to temporary shelters in an area where they say there were snakes, no electricity, no running water and poor living conditions.

Some remained there for almost three years.

Flood victim Fikile Shange said she was relieved to leave behind the house that was falling apart.

“I am happy to have left the house that was collapsing and to be living in a better place, even if it is temporary,” she said.

Another beneficiary, Mzolo, said the family finally feels safe.

“We did not have proper shelter for three years. We are happy that this summer we will not have to worry about heavy rains, and we hope Eskom will connect electricity soon,” Mzolo said.

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba officially handed over the homes during a visit to inspect whether families had settled into their new accommodation.

He said the Temporary Residential Units are only a short-term solution while government works on building permanent houses.

Xaba also announced plans to build another 1,200 subsidised houses for vulnerable families across eThekwini.

The handover was, however, marked by a disagreement over who should receive credit for the project.

Ward 7 councillor Luthando Jali said he approached the National Department of Human Settlements after the municipality failed to assist residents.

He believes his intervention helped secure the temporary homes.

Mayor Xaba disagreed.

He said the project was made possible through cooperation between the eThekwini Municipality, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and the national government.

He said no single person should claim credit for helping the families.

For the residents, however, the politics mattered far less than finally having a safe place to live.

After years of uncertainty, they can now look forward to living in safer conditions while waiting for the permanent homes they have been promised.

Pictured above: Families from Ntshongweni who lost their homes in the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods have finally moved into temporary houses after waiting almost three years.

Image source: eThekwini Municipality