Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli conducted an oversight visit in oThongathi to assess recovery and relief efforts after the tornado hit the area.
OThongathi was hardest hit by the storm earlier this month, which left a trail of destruction in six district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal with a cost estimate of over R1.3 billion. Twelve people were reported to have died, and over 1 200 people were left homeless.
The level scale of the tornado was classified by the South African Weather Service (Saws) as the worst the country has experienced in 25 years. A post-severe weather assessment found that the tornado was rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, with estimated wind speeds of 225 to 265km/h that blew off roofs, damaged infrastructure and uprooted trees.
On Tuesday, Ntuli engaged community members who were affected by the storm, NGOs and donors and assessed government relief interventions.
Ntuli expressed heartfelt gratitude to all social partners for their invaluable contributions to the victims of the recent storm.
“Our purpose is to partner with the community in their journey to reconstruct their lives. We brought some items that will assist them in normalising their lives. We also want to assess the extent of the damage and how far the intervention has gone and which gaps we have to close. I know that the task ahead is for the reconstruction of the structures,” he said.
Ntuli said that although the Department of Human Settlements has bought the material to construct the damaged structures, he plans to engage with all MECs to discuss the plan.
“We also want to put a time frame on fixing of the damage,” Ntuli said.
He said they would also go to other affected communities such as Amajuba and Umzinyathi.
He added that they would also visit people who are still residing in temporal structures.
“On Wednesday, we will have a cabinet meeting with the MEC for education and what time frame will be allocated for that time frame. The details will be shared after we have discussed,” he said.
The Office of the Premier also announced that Ntuli led a visit by the Provincial Executive Council and His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at the old Legislature Building in Ulundi.
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Daily News