SANDF steps up to help trapped KZN flood victims by rebuilding bridges and trucking in water

During the recent floods some communities around KwaZulu-Natal were trapped on islands as bridges, linking roads and freeways were torn down by raging waters one after the other.

When the Intake Bridge over the Umlazi River succumbed to the floods more than three weeks ago, it did not go down alone. It swept away the Olympic Bus carrying workers and residents. Some of the passengers managed to break windows and swim to safety. But a few of them, including old women and young children and the 67-year-old driver, Zonda Thusi, were trapped inside. They are still missing.

The collapse of the bridge isolated residents of Intake, Nkoselweni, Tafelkop and Zwelibomvu from the rest of the world. They could not travel out of their area to get to work, schools, hospitals, malls or anywhere else.

So it was a welcome relief – for those trapped people – when the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) set up camp near the Intake Bridge and began rebuilding the bridge, searching for missing flood victims and getting food, water and other essentials to the isolated residents.

The operation is part of the deployment of 10,000 SANDF troops to help communities affected by the recent floods. It includes the military providing more than 31 water tankers to bring in water.

The Intake Bridge was so damaged that it will take time to be fully repaired, but SANDF engineers and other technical staff are hard at work. So far, they have managed to build a corridor so that people and goods can get from one side to the other.

SANDF and Department of Defence spokesperson Major Mpho Mathebula said that since the floods struck they have been working with the eThekwini Municipality and others to assess the extent of the damage and “see how we can help communities”.

“We are assisting with fixing small roads and bridges. On top of that, we are providing water tankers, about 60,000 to 80,000 litres of water per day. There are more than 20 locations we are servicing. We are also doing mop-up operations in other areas. In other words, we are clearing up rubble,” she said.

Mathebula said they had noted that some local contractors and local young people staged a protest, saying they are not happy because the SANDF is doing the work instead of allowing contractors to do the work and thus create jobs. She said these protests are “premature” because the SANDF is building temporary structures and helping municipalities to get back on their feet so that they can resume their work.

Read in Daily Maverick: “KZN flood tragedy exposes dysfunctional province in midst of governance crisis”

“In Tongaat, we are setting up water-purification plants in places like Inanda and Hazelmere Dam. The aim is to build capacity to provide 6,000 litres of bottled water per day. We are also assisting SAPS with search-and-rescue and body-recovery missions. We are also doing humanitarian missions in areas that cannot be accessed by road by flying in food, water, blankets and mattresses so that people are able to access these services in 20 communities,” Mathebula said.

Read in Daily Maverick:RET forum expects to win battle for flood damage repair tenders in KZN

Like many other parts of eThekwini affected by the floods, impromptu protests for water and sanitation have been a daily occurrence in Mariannhill since the floods.

On 4 May, pandemonium broke out when two SANDF tankers, guarded by a highly armed squadron, arrived in Mariannhill’s Sunshine area. People ran to the tankers, carrying water containers. Young children, young and old women and men formed long queues for water from the tanks’ taps.

Residents of Tafelkop, west of Durban near Mariannhill, are suffering after the bridge that connects them across the Umlazi River collapsed during the floods. (Photo: Phumlani Thabethe)

Pensioner Bazothini Phewa struggles to cross the Umlazi River 4 May 2022 after the bridge collapsed. (Photo: Phumlani Thabethe)

‘My life is a mess’