Durban - Thousands of residents, who were left without homes due to the April floods, are still living in shelters provided by the eThekwini Municipality.
This was revealed yesterday in a full council meeting where it emerged that there are challenges in caring for the victims due to the decline in donations.
The city was responding to written questions submitted by councillors. Among the questions raised was what the city was doing to help those in shelters.
“There are 82 shelters in eThekwini and there are about 6 000 people living in these shelters but the number fluctuates as people leave and they come back,” said the city response.
The city and the Department of Social Development are responsible for caring for the flood victims. While the city is providing accommodation and essentials, the Social Development Department is tasked with providing food vouchers and social-worker support.
The Department of Human Settlements has been tasked with overseeing the construction of temporary residential units (TRUs) pending permanent housing. The city revealed yesterday that the building of TRUs was slow, stating that a small number of units had been built and a small proportion of the people had been relocated.
During an executive committee meeting this month, city officials said the city might need to set its own budget to care for the victims because the number of donations had declined.
The delays in resettling the floods victims have led to frustrations and displaced individuals recently stormed the Durban City Hall and demanded that they be allocated a safe place to live while they waited for their homes to be rebuilt.
Ward 9 councillor in Molweni, Nonsikelelo Msomi said they no longer received any donations from the municipality, however once a month two people nominated from the shelters received two vouchers from the Department of Social Development that they used to purchase food to feed those staying in the hall.
“We have three shelters with almost 100 people altogether, donations have stopped coming in from the municipality and we only rely on private organisations and a small amount from the Department of Social Development.”
Flood victims staying at the Isipingo Beach Hall said they felt abandoned.
Siphesihle Simelane, who moved into the hall with his parents and brother after the April floods, told The Mercury that two months have gone by since they received food, had their gas cylinders, which they used to cook, refilled or received nappies.
“We have made the councillor aware of the issues and we have also told the lady in charge of looking after this place, however, nothing has been done.”
Simelane, who is unemployed, said that those who worked or had some money bought their own food.
He said there were 72 flood victims occupying the hall.
Another resident at the shelter, Thoko Tshilase, said the last time a social worker visited the shelter was in June.
“We don’t even know when we will be re-homed, no one has informed us of any progress regarding the TRUs. Our councillor doesn’t care, he has not come to see us and now he is not even taking our calls.”
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo said the city was not aware of people not receiving food and it would investigate these allegations.
“The city can state that all people displaced during the floods have been supplied with the necessities. This includes mattresses, blankets, vanity packs, clothing (where available), gas stove and cylinder, food items for meal preparation or hot meals, Jo-Jo tanks refilled daily by a water tank, ablutions.”
“Health visits are conducted, psycho-social support is offered, security is provided where such is required and regular checks by SAPS, SANDF and Metro Police conducted,” said Khuzwayo.
Regarding the housing plans, Khuzwayo said the city’s role was only to profile and offer the list to the Department of Human Settlements.
“For clarity, the construction of TRUs is done by the provincial Department of Human Settlements, the city provides a list of beneficiaries.”
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements spokesperson Mbulelo Baloyi said the municipality was responsible for housing displaced floods victims, while the Department of Social Development was tasked with co-ordinating meals.
“Human Settlements Department only verify the displaced families for possible intervention through Temporary Residential Units.”
The KZN Department of Social Development admitted that it was responsible for ensuring that the people staying in the halls were fed and looked after.
It denied allegation that those at the Isipingo shelter were not receiving food.
“It is untrue that there is a shelter that is not being taken care of, the challenge is that the people that stay in Isipingo Beach Hall shelter have unrealistic demands, and reject the food being given to them,” said Social Development spokesperson Mhlabunzima Memela.
He added that social workers should make regular visits to the shelters and the shelter leaders also had direct contact with social workers.