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Heavy rains add to plight of vulnerable communities in KwaZulu-Natal

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Heavy rains in northern KwaZulu-Natal earlier this week have added to the plight of vulnerable communities as Tropical Storm Eloise continues to move through parts of South Africa.   

Fifty-seven-year-old Maria Ndlovu from Mtubatuba lives with her six family members in a one-roomed mud, stick and stone structure on the outskirts of the rural town.  

She is one of the affected families who is receiving aid from her local municipality.  

Speaking through a translator, Ndlovu says she even dug trenches in front of her home to divert the gushing streams of water.  

When it (the rain) started, her roof started blowing cause her structure is unstable. So, when the structure started movingshe then moved her kids and the grandkids to the other room. The wind was strong, the rocks started falling on her. That’s when she started moving around, digging in the yard so the water could move in one direction. So when it all started coming down she then became hopeless.”  

SABC Digital News compiled pictures of some of the devastation caused by Eloise.

Death and destruction

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy is among two people who died when tropical storm Eloise lashed large parts of the country 

Scores were displaced and 60 mud houses collapsed in Limpopo.  

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sipho Hlomuka, says interim relief is being provided to the families that were affected by the storm.  

Tropical storm Eloise started in Mozambique where it has caused massive damage to infrastructure and left fatalities in its wake.  

Hlomuka says in the province the storm has claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy who drowned in KwaShoba. 

We received a report that there’s one fatality that happened at Abaqulusi at Ward 13.  There are around 110 houses that have been partially destroyed through this tropical storm especially under Umkhanyakude district coming from different municipalities. Under Umkhanyakude district, 280 households have been affected through this storm and 916 people coming from that household have been affected. We indicated that we have 175 houses that have been completely destroyed by the storm and that was under Umkhanyakude.”

In the video below, report on devastation caused by the Eloise in KwaZulu-Natal: 

-Additional reporting by Fanele Mhlongo

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