Repairs get under way

REPAIRING damage to ageing and damaged infrastructure in the wake of the floods in KwaZulu-Natal is a priority, says Senzo Mchunu, the minister of Water and Sanitation.

Delivering his budget vote speech in the National Assembly on Friday last week, he said the focus in the province would now be on building back better and improving infrastructure.

Building back better is a strategy aimed at reducing the risk to people in the wake of future disasters.

Mchunu, who was appointed to the portfolio in August, conveyed his condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the flooding, and empathised with those who remained without piped water and proper sanitation.

He said his department was working as fast as possible to restore these services.

“Immediately after the floods, we established a water and sanitation war room together with the worst-affected municipalities. Our department quickly hired water tankers to supplement those available in the municipalities and we seconded a team of engineers and other specialists to the war room to assist with the implementation of emergency repair work and to assess and quantify the damage.”

He said progress had been made with regard to the restoration of the water supply. But there was immense damage to water and sanitation infrastructure.

Mchunu said the department and municipalities in the province had completed the costing of the damage and have submitted an application to the Department of Co-operative Governance for national disaster funding.

“Once funding is allocated, we will continue to be involved in the planning and monitoring of the implementation of the reconstruction projects, with a stern focus on building back better.”

He said the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall, to ensure long-term water supply to eThekwini, would be completed in the third quarter of this year at a cost of about R800 million.

“The uMkhomazi Water Project is also aimed at delivering long-term additional water to the eThekwini region at a cost of R23 billion by 2028. The project is at a pre-funding stage.”

Construction, he said, is expected to start in 2025.

Mchunu said there was ageing infrastructure that was no longer helping the city. “Now we have to look at water reticulation, which is the only way to deliver water. We will also be rehabilitating that whole portfolio of water quality.”

In a previous meeting with the city, Mchunu said they would need more than R1bn to repair damaged infrastructure.

He did not say when water in some areas, such as Tongaat, would be restored.

Following the budget vote speech, residents said communities had worked together to support each other, while they waited for help from the city.

Nazir Sadack, who is part of the Community Emergency Response Team in Tongaat, said: “Businesses and ordinary people filled Jojo tanks and supplied water to affected communities. If it were not for them, there would have been a disaster here because the city is not providing enough tankers.”

Tongaat has been without water for more than 30 days.

Sadack said the Tongaat River bridge and the La Mercy bridge were damaged and this placed pressure on the volume of traffic on the Watson Highway. He said the city had not said how long it would take to fix the bridges

Pastor Selvan Govender, of Chatsworth, said: “Almost every area here has suffered major damage. From the start, myself and my NPO, The Time Is Now, and the Moorton community police forum assisted. Whether it meant getting tractors to clear roads, or providing blankets and pillows to the victims, we were there. The city was nowhere to be seen.”

Govender said Damorosa Crescent, which had one entry/exit, was blocked with mud and debris. “When we did not get feedback from the city, the community rallied together and hired a bulldozer to clear the road.”

He said the bridge in Kharwastan was still inoperable.

Kody Chetty, of Asherville, said the drainage problem in the area was exacerbated during the floods. “And to date, nothing has been done. The main outlet pipes flow through Asherville grounds and Springfield down to the Umgeni River. The damage along that path is evident. The municipality was ill-prepared for the floods.”

Lance Govender, of Reservoir Hills, said McClarty Road, Pamrose Place, Shannon Drive, Annette Drive and Pemary Ridge were inaccessible after the roads washed away.

“A day after the floods, residents cleared the roads. Retired municipal workers also helped the plumbers to fix burst pipes and they raised funds to hire tractors to dig or clear the roads.

“The Reservoir Hills Community Policing Subforum, the Reservoir Hills Ratepayers and Residents Association and the NPO Seva Hands distributed water and food hampers. We cannot rely on the city in times of disaster.”

During an oversight visit on Friday, mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the total damage to infrastructure was estimated at R3.8bn. He said 390 people died and 60 were missing. The city arranged the burials of 129. Kaunda said more than 100 power sub-stations were affected, but all had since been fully restored.

He said progress had been made regarding water damage. Supply to the northern region had improved from 40% to 45% due to interventions the city was making in Tongaat. He estimated it would take the city six months to repair the Tongaat water treatment plant at a cost of R30m.

He said that through the city’s interventions, residents in Tongaat would receive piped water at least four hours per day, by the end of this week.

“In addition, we have already deployed 20 water tankers and started to drill three boreholes.”

Eight thousand formal and informal houses were damaged.

“Our top priority is to assist people who are currently in 64 mass care centres and so far, we have identified 3 821 families requiring urgent assistance.

“Our assistance includes material supply to 3 088 households, repairs, rebuilding of 175 houses and 560 temporary residential units that are being constructed by the Department of Human Settlements in the province."

The city was unable to comment on its disaster management plan following the floods of 2019.