Communities in Umlalazi are assessing the damage after a severe weekend storm tore through several wards, destroying homes, flooding roads and disrupting essential services.
Ward 21 councillor K. Mthembu says residents are struggling to recover from the impact, with roads badly damaged and electricity supply cut in multiple areas. “We don’t have electricity right now, but I have reported it to Eskom,” Mthembu said.
In Ward 8, an elderly resident who was struck by lightning is receiving treatment in hospital.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance has deployed disaster management teams to the hardest-hit wards 14, 16 and 21 to assist affected families. In eNdumeni’s Sibongile Township, a 35-year-old woman was swept away by floodwaters.
Meanwhile, the provincial Transport Department has reopened one lane on the Umzimkhulu River Bridge in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality. Heavy rains previously forced the closure of the bridge after the structure was deemed unsafe for motorists.
Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said prolonged downpours last year caused widespread disruptions including damage to Margate Airport and hampered access to the Port Shepstone CBD.
“The area became extremely difficult to reach, disrupting suppliers and the entire supply chain. This drove up costs and caused major financial losses for businesses, leading to job cuts that pushed many people below the poverty line,” Sibiya said.
He added that persistent rainfall had delayed repair work on the bridge, but the department is now aiming for a full reopening to two-way traffic by February next year.