Durban — Flood victims living in transitional emergency accommodation (TEA) in the Durban CBD shared all the challenges they were facing during an MEC’s visit on Tuesday.
Hundreds of people living in informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal became homeless during the April 2022 floods. The Human Settlements and Public Works Department found them temporary accommodation in buildings across the province.
Siziwe Mfincane, Point TEA flood victims committee chairperson, said despite the challenges they faced as flood victims, they remained hopeful that they would be assisted.
“We are very hopeful that all challenges and problems will be fixed. All our complaints, we believe, will be answered. Living conditions will also change from now,” said Mfincane.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Sipho Nkosi, visited a TEA on Mahatma Gandhi Road in the Point area of Durban as part of Operation Siyahlola. Nkosi said the government had bought 13 building sites, and by August 31 all the sites would be inspected and verified.
Nkosi said sites were bought in the southern, northern and western regions of eThekwini Municipality for permanent housing solutions.
“Our main priority is to build houses for flood victims. Currently, the municipality is busy inspecting those lands.
“We need to verify first if the land is safe enough to build houses for people,” said Nkosi.
Flood victims said they had issues with transport for schoolchildren, school uniforms and food vouchers.
Addressing the issues and challenges faced by the flood victims, Nkosi said he would liaise with all the relevant departments.
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Daily News