15 May 2024
Hundreds of people still living in emergency accommodation after the 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal marched to Durban city centre to demand permanent housing. Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko
More than 300 people who lost their homes in the devastating April 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods marched on Wednesday to the city centre to hand over a memorandum to the Premier’s office demanding permanent housing.
Most of the marchers came from emergency accommodation set aside by the provincial government to house flood victims in Verulam, Ntuzuma, uMlazi and other areas. They were joined by others who had left the emergency housing because it was too crowded and are renting their own accommodation.
According to protesters in some places six families were cramped into one room. They had heard that the leases on the temporary accommodation had been extended by the provincial government and feared that this meant they would never be moved.
The memorandum was directed to the office of Premier Nomusa Dube Ncube.
When the marchers arrived at the City Hall where the Premier’s representative was to meet them they lit candles and stood in silence for a minute remembering those who had lost their lives in the floods.
Fikile Ndlovu from the office of the Premier accepted and signed the memorandum. She promised to consult with relevant departments and “come up with solutions”. Ndlovu confirmed that the leases on the temporary accommodation had been extended, while the province evaluated the need for accommodation.