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The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini has received multiple reports of flood damage after storms devastated certain areas in the North. Houses collapsed, infrastructure laid bare, widespread flooding, with no water and no electricity, that has been the nightmare of thousands of residents.

Disaster management was slow to activate or even respond as stranded, terrified residents turned yet again to community emergency rescue organisation's as the city failed at some point to even answer calls.

The city administration made no effort to put in place any measures to mitigate losses after the April 2022 floods. Despite calls from the DA, eThekwini Municipality sinks deeper into its self-made woes.

Oversight visits by the DA caucus leader and chief whip in eThekwini, revealed a city coming apart at the seams. With dozens of homes flooding, residents were crying out for storm water manholes to be unblocked, rivers to be dredged, Bridges to be secured and safe alternate accommodation. Flood victims are still awaiting assistance from eThekwini municipality who are a no show. EThekwini via their Water tanker services are in complete breach of the constitution as they fail in the obligation to provide access to water.

To add to the woes and delays in repairing flood damage with storm water and potable water, the city stores are devoid of critical stock, spares and backfill. The supply chain management (SCM) system of the eThekwini Municipality are at the heart of this service delivery fiasco and remain untouchable.

The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini is now calling for the eThekwini Municipality to be declared a disaster area due to the floods that have ravaged certain areas and the water and electricity outages that abound. We are also calling for the city to exempt eThekwini Municipality from load shedding alternatively to make a strong appeal to Eskom for the northern areas to be exempt as the communities have been suffering from serious human rights violations more especially with no access to water, even via water tankers.

Issued by Councillor Thabani Mthethwa - DA eThekwini Caucus Leader