DURBAN - The DA has called on provincial government to provide an urgent update regarding the provision of emergency housing in the province.
This urgent call comes as hundreds remain in community shelters from the April floods, and more people were evacuated this past weekend when floods struck again.
“Nobody knows when the next heavy rains will come. It is now critical that both KZN’s government and its Department of Human Settlements, under MEC Jomo Sibiya, act speedily to prevent an unsustainable situation where far too many people are left waiting in community halls for too long,” said DA KZN Spokesperson on Human Settlements, Marlaine Nair.
The DA says it is concerned that those who were provided with building material vouchers may proceed to build new homes on flood-prone land.
“With flooding appearing to be the new norm in our province, this will be catastrophic and we need to know what steps are being taken to prevent this from happening.
“What we need to see right now is a proactive approach by government. This must include speedy assessments in flooded areas so that the needs of those who have endured so much are met without further delay,” said Nair.
KZN Department of Human Settlements spokesperson Mbulelo Baloyi says the original plan won’t change.
"Further assessment of this weekend’s floods damage is currently being undertaken, and that will determine if additional Temporal Residential Units (TRU) will have to be added to the original number,“ he said.
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