Durban — Gift of the Givers, national, provincial and local government descended on Inanda, which was ravaged by a tornado-like phenomenon on Tuesday afternoon.
Gift of the Givers said that the severity of the storm hindered the immediate assessment of damage by their team.
“This morning, the team conducted damage assessments in the Bhambayi area and at Kasturba Gandhi School in collaboration with Bhambayi Project, a local non-profit organisation situated in Bhambayi,” Gift of the Givers said.
The organisation said the team also visited other areas such as Ohlange, Clermont, Folweni, Umzinto, Pennington, Kelso, and Oshabeni.
It said that although the duration of the “tornado” was brief, the aftermath had a significant impact, leaving numerous homes without roofs and waterlogged due to the subsequent heavy downpour.
“A Gift of the Givers team visited the Phoenix area, where they witnessed the severe effects on 40 families who were still grappling with the shock caused by the 'tornado’. The rain had soaked the furniture in their homes, rendering their appliances unsafe to use. Furthermore, essential items such as food supplies and clothing were completely destroyed,” Gift of the Givers said.
“These families are in urgent need of assistance to secure their rooftops, allowing them to continue living in their homes. Additionally, providing immediate relief in the form of food supplies and blankets will aid them in their recovery and the process of rebuilding their lives.
“As a team, we strongly believe that these 40 families require immediate relief and support, given their desperate situation and limited resources in their impoverished communities. We are grateful that there were no tragic injuries reported,” Gift of the Givers said.
Earlier, Gift of the Givers said that the feedback they received was encouraging compared with the April floods, even though many roads were flooded and areas were impassable. In the CBD and surrounding communities there had not been much destruction, informal settlements had not been washed away, bridges, roads, water and power infrastructure were intact, and the loss of life was minimal.
“Inanda is the epicentre of the destruction, including Bambhayi, Dube Village, Amaoti and Ohlanga. Folweni, near Umbumbulu, Pennington, near Umzinto and Oshiweni near Port Shepstone are the other affected areas,” Gift of the Givers said.
It said that warehouse teams were at work preparing aid for distribution.
National, provincial and local government officials also assessed storm damage in Inanda.
Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and eThekwini Municipality mayor Mxolisi Kaunda led a government visit to the community of Inanda to assess damage from Tuesday’s storm and to assure for themselves that families who had been affected were receiving adequate support and assistance.
Speaking at Maoti Community Hall, Kubayi said her department would be sending engineers to properly assess the damage to homes and would be looking into the provision of building vouchers to help families rebuild their homes.
Dube-Ncube echoed Kubayi’s words and added that temporary accommodation would be provided to some displaced families.
Kaunda said the city’s rescue and emergency teams worked throughout Tuesday night and responded to more than 100 calls for assistance.
“They rescued people who were trapped in their properties and on the roads, especially in the Pink area (Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu). Other areas affected areas include Pinetown, St Wendolins, Nazareth, New Germany, Westville, Reservoir Hills, Umkomaas, Mbumbulu and Folweni,” Kaunda said.
He added that the City’s multi-disciplinary teams such as water, electricity, roads and parks were in various communities to ensure that services were restored and that infrastructure was repaired swiftly. Many areas lost power, but technicians had begun restoring it in several areas.
The municipality reported that some roads remain closed after being waterlogged. These include Bayhead, Brickfield, M7 Bellville, and Stapleton roads.
It said that many homes suffered extensive damage, and community halls were opened on Tuesday night to accommodate those who needed shelter. Affected families were being accommodated in Amaoti and other halls.
Different teams from the city were continuing to clear roads, removing fallen trees, sand, and debris.
The municipality added that there was one reported fatality in Zwelisha, where an adult male was washed away by raging waters. Search and rescue teams were continuing with the search on Wednesday.
It said that assessments were continuing to establish the numbers of those who were affected and were in need of building materials to rebuild their homes.
For any emergencies, communities can contact the city’s emergency line at 031 361 0000.
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Daily News