Seven houses remain submerged three days after heavy rainfall battered parts of Ntuzuma, north of Durban, leaving families displaced and counting the cost of the destruction.
What residents initially thought was a brief downpour on Friday night became a prolonged ordeal when up to 50mm of rain fell within an hour.
The city issued an alert after the South African Weather Service issued a level 2 warning for widespread showers and severe thunderstorms across KwaZulu-Natal, with the eThekwini region expected to be significantly affected.
Residents said a blocked drainage system resulted in severe pooling that left homes partially underwater.
Community members believe the flooding was worsened by construction activity and illegal dumping that clogged already inadequate stormwater drains.
Zanele Shezi said flooding has become a recurring crisis.
“Every time it rains, we face the same situation. It rained for less than an hour, yet this is what happened,” she said. “The drain is blocked, and we suspect the construction work taking place uphill is making it worse.”
Shezi said they had no chance to save their belongings when water began rushing into their home.
“We left everything behind and ran for our lives. We had just bought groceries. The clothes I’m wearing are the only ones I have left. Our children couldn’t go to school because their uniforms were destroyed,” she said.
For Nomthando Nyawo, the storm that began at about 10pm washed away not only furniture but vital documents and essential items belonging to her five siblings.
“The heavy rain started around 10pm, and we lost everything — our identity documents, the children’s birth certificates and all our belongings,” she said. “We couldn’t take anything with us. My school laptop is gone, along with the printer and our phones.”
Nyawo said they now relied on neighbours for temporary shelter.
“We are grateful to our neighbours for giving us a place to stay while we have nowhere else to go. This problem has existed for a long time. We’ve heard many promises that it will be fixed, but nothing has been done,” she said.
Sindiswa Gumbi described how rapidly the water levels rose during the night.
“The rain started around 10pm, and by 11pm the water was already up to my knees,” she said.
“We rushed the children out. When we returned to try to save some of our belongings, the water was above my waist. We chose our lives over our possessions.”
Gumbi also blamed persistent drainage problems in the area.
“Another issue is illegal dumping, which has blocked the drains. The drain is too small to handle the volume of water flowing down from the higher ground,” she said.
With stagnant water still surrounding their homes, residents fear more rainfall and are concerned about potential health risks.
For now, families remain displaced, hoping authorities will urgently clear the drainage system.
The latest flooding incident comes as eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba expressed concern on Sunday that victims of recurring floods had been living in temporary emergency accommodation for an extended period.
“This has significantly affected their lives and livelihoods. In a decisive effort to restore their dignity, the municipality is implementing a housing project that will deliver close to 1,200 houses. This forms part of the broader Cornubia Housing Development Project, which is expected to yield 25,000 units upon completion.
“Last week, I conducted an oversight visit to assess progress on the construction of 113 houses for flood victims, which are scheduled for completion next month. To accelerate relocation into family-friendly structures, we have agreed with the provincial and national human settlements departments that, while permanent construction continues, we will also build 400 Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) to accommodate residents currently living in Temporary Emergency Accommodation.”
A process is under way to finalise the refurbishment of 500 units at Montclair Lodge.
“I am optimistic that by June this year, more than 1,000 units will be available to accommodate those currently in temporary emergency accommodation,” Xaba said.
He said ongoing construction of more housing at Cornubia was progressing, with connections to water, sanitation and electricity being established.
He said the project would not only bring relief to flood victims, but also to residents living in transit camps.
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