A tornado left a trail of destruction in Newtown in Tongaat. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
Government said damage costs following devastating floods and a mini tornado that struck KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has reached R1.3 billion.
A total of 12 people lost their lives after a tornado hit the town of Tongaat on the KZN North Coast.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and provincial government in a joint statement said mop up, recovery and relief efforts were ongoing.
They said six district municipalities in KZN were affected.
“At this stage, the estimated cost of damage amounts to over R1.3 billion for the entire province, with eThekwini Metro alone accounting for over R480 million,” provincial government spokesperson Bongi Gwala said.
They said ongoing assessments indicate that over 7,000 households so far have been affected.
“About 20 schools were severely damaged, and roads, bridges, community halls, and electricity infrastructure have also been impacted.”
Government said in collaboration with social partners and private donors, it has been actively on the ground assisting victims in restoring their lives.
On Wednesday the National Department of Human Settlements delivered the first batch of building material that will benefit about 674 households at eMagwaveni in oThongathi.
“Donors and NGOs started delivering materials to many other families.”
The Department of Home Affairs deployed two mobile offices to eMagwaveni shelter to assist people who lost their identity documents to apply for new documents.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has lauded all government departments, public entities, and social partners who have been at the forefront of assisting the storm victims.
“As the provincial government, we are pleased with the support and commitment displayed by various departments and social partners in assisting families in distress. While our aim is not to keep families in mass care centres, we are satisfied with the services the government is providing to the affected families,” said Dube-Ncube.
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