Government must be transparent, accountable and effective in its response to the devastating floods that have rocked KwaZulu-Natal since April, Amnesty International South Africa said following a field visit to the province.
A team from Amnesty International South Africa visited some of the worst affected areas in Isipingo, Umlazi, Durban Central and Tongaat last week. Some of these areas have been without water for over a month with little to no intervention from the government.
“People feel that their rights to safety, water, sanitation, dignity and privacy have been neglected by the government. They’ve had to rely on civil society, individuals, political parties and business owners for help. Some have to relieve themselves in the bushes because of lack of proper sanitation” said Amnesty International South Africa Executive Director Shenilla Mohamed.
The government has allocated over R1 billion to help rebuild KZN homes after the first floods. However, community members told Amnesty International that government is slow in its response, is leaving them in the dark about plans to rebuild, and that they have lost hope and trust in government.
“We have been staying in an overcrowded community hall which also gets flooded. Some of us have chronic diseases and we’ve had to spend nine days without getting medication. Other people are even afraid to take their medication because people will know about their sickness. Some officials came to take our names and nothing happened after that. We have also heard that the funds have been released to help us but we don’t know what happened to them. So, I have nothing to ask from the government because they [don’t] help us with anything” said *Thandi who stays in Mega Village, an informal settlement which is situated near a river in Umlazi.
The residents at a transit camp in Isipingo, south of Durban, have been languishing in the flood-prone area for over a decade.
They were moved from various areas of the city into temporary structures ahead of the 2010 Fifa World cup, with the promise of a permanent house within six to eight months.
“While we welcome government’s efforts like evacuating people in some of the affected areas in KZN, we want government to be held accountable for their failure to deliver the houses on time and use this as an opportunity to build back stronger, with more resilient infrastructure to protect people from the devastation that occurred during the recent floods. The fact that as of today the houses that were promised to the people living in the Isipingo transit camp have not been finished shows a lack of accountability,” said Shenilla Mohamed.
“We are also calling on government to be transparent about the funds allocated towards the destruction – where these are allocated to, and how they are spent. They must also provide a clear plan outlining their response to these devastating floods,” said Shenilla Mohamed.
*Names changed to protect identity.
Background
● In April, over 400 people were killed and others lost their homes as torrential rains swept through KZN. There are concerns over the slow release of funds as the floods continue to batter the province.
● Over the past weekend three bodies were recovered and hundreds of people were evacuated following heavy downpours and flooding in KwaZulu-Natal.
● Over R1-billion has been allocated towards the rebuilding of homes destroyed in last month’s deadly KwaZulu-Natal floods.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REQUEST AN INTERVIEW, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sibusiso Khasa, Campaigner, Amnesty International South Africa: +27 (0)73 449 6871; sibusiso.khasa@amnesty.org.za
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