The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has handed over a fire disaster response vehicle valued at more than R2 million to uThukela District this afternoon.
The handover was done by the KZN Cogta MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, in an effort to capacitate the disaster management response unit in the district.
According to Hlomuka, the vehicle would be used for fire and rescue emergencies in uThukela.
Hlomuka was accompanied by the mayor of uThukela District, Siphiwe Mazibuko, and the mayor of Alfred Duma Municipality, Vincent Madlala.
The district recently experienced a tragedy where four people died when the taxi they were travelling in got swept away while trying to cross a flooded, low-lying bridge.
“As much as we are handing over the vehicle to this district, all local municipalities falling within the district would be supported by this. We have requested that they must ensure that they can care for this vehicle, because it’s going to assist them,” said Hlomuka.
Hlomuka, together with the other delegates, also visited Gcizela Primary School and Tholulwazi Primary School at Watersmeet, Ladysmith, where they issued 150 and 50 school uniforms respectively.
As part of the visit, the delegates also conducted a clean-up campaign in the Ladysmith CBD.
“We also encouraged residents to stop littering the town because it is going to block the drainage systems. If that happens, that means that when the rains come with floods, it would seriously affect the town,” he said.
The Ladysmith CBD was flooded after heavy rains deluged the small town in February this year, which resulted in a number of houses being damaged.
The Mercury