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‘We have lost everything,’ say Tshelimnyama residents after repeated floods ravage KZN

‘We have lost everything,’ say Tshelimnyama residents after repeated floods ravage KZN
A bridge in Zwelisha, Kwazulu-Natal, near iNanda was swept away. (Photo: Mandla Langa)
Naledi Sikhakhane
By Naledi Sikhakhane
30 Jan 2024
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Some Tshelimnyama residents, still reeling from the 2022 KZN floods, lost what little they had of their houses with relentless flash floods over December and January.

Fano Hlophe (85) has lost the last two rooms of a house that once had six rooms. Two rooms were destroyed by floods in 2020, then two more in the fatal April 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods. In mid-January 2024, heavy rains finished off what was left of his house.

Relentless flash floods in December and January caused severe damage in several areas in KwaZulu-Natal, including in Tshelimnyama, which sits outside of Pinetown and 30 minutes from Durban. It falls under the uMkhanyakude District Municipality.

A house in Tshelimnyama, near Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, damaged by a mudslide during the floods. (Photo: Mandla Langa)



“We have lost everything, all the clothes are damaged. Look at the fridge, we don’t even have space to place it. It’s just so bad,” Hlophe said as he stood on a fallen wall pointing at the damage.

Hlophe lives with his family of seven. They now live in a one-room outbuilding that was initially used by his eldest son.

“We are crammed in there and have registered on every list available for housing, every list that comes from disaster, the councillor office. Recently people came to take pictures. I don’t know where they are from, but I am hoping they will help us get a house,” said Hlophe. 

In April 2022, the KZN coastal zone, including the greater Durban area and South Coast, received more than 300mm of rain in 24 hours. This led to catastrophic flooding, with 459 people losing their lives. More than 4,000 homes were destroyed, 440,000 people were left homeless and 45,000 people were temporarily left unemployed.

Fano Hlophe indicates the damage to his house in Tshelimnyama, KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo: Mandla Langa)


‘No peace’ since 2022


Tshelimnyama resident Bonisile Mbanjwa (84) said when it rains, her family doesn’t rest. Half of her house was swept away in the 2022 floods and she was also left with two rooms. They use one as a kitchen and share a bedroom with her seven children and grandchildren, aged between eight and 28.

“I have had to build a pit toilet outside because ours got washed away. We had to go all around the area looking for a tap that has running water. We didn’t have it for eight months,” said Mbanjwa.

Mbanjwa lives near a river bed and says they live in constant fear of it flooding.

“We had never experienced that kind of flooding and we have never known peace since,” said Mbanjwa, who has lived in the area for decades.

No one in her family can afford to rebuild the house as they are unemployed. Mbanjwa lived off selling produce from her vegetable garden, which was also destroyed, along with her pension.

“These rains bring hunger. My garden is destroyed. I can't even sell,” said Mbanjwa.

Read more in Daily Maverick: KZN floods exposed vulnerabilities in local structures and disaster response — South Africans should not forget

Her neighbour, Zodwa Gwala (61), says they moved to the local community hall when the floods initially hit in 2022 but moved back into their house, which was not safe to move back into as three rooms of it had been swept away. The structure has big cracks in it and the family buys material to mend what they can to uphold the structure.

“We had to move back from the hall. We realised there was no use staying there. The halls were full, people were not getting moved into a better situation,” said Gwala.

Zodwa Gwala's house was partially damaged when an overflowing river burst its banks in KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo: Mandla Langa)


Assistance delays


While residents whose homes were damaged by the 2022 floods are still waiting for assistance, it’s unclear whether help will ever arrive. 

Nokuthula Mtolo, who was speaking on behalf of local councillor Simiso Gwamanda, said, “So far, the people who lived in halls and churches were moved into a temporary residence in Ashley. Each family has its own space. This will last for 36 months.”

When asked about those who live in their dilapidated houses, she said, “Disaster management made assessments of people’s homes, when it had just hit they received food parcels and other necessities provided by organisations and from the government. We sent through all the information we had on those who came forward after the floods. Nothing has been said so far on the next steps for them.”

Mtolo said plans to fix poor infrastructure that exacerbates the impact of heavy rains and floods are in the works, such as a low bridge near the community hall in the area that floods easily.

“Work on the bridge will commence from February. Last month, the contractor who will be rebuilding the bridge was introduced,” said Mtolo.

Read more in Daily Maverick: A Perfect Storm: How the deadly 2022 Durban floods hold crucial lessons for the future of the city and others like it

Sboniso Mngadi, from the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), said the department played its role in collecting and submitting reports to the relevant departments. Now other departments are responsible for acting on the assessments and providing the necessary assistance. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: KZN in for more heavy rain, authorities warn, after at least 40 people die in floods over December and January

Meanwhile, Tshelimnyama residents such as Mbali Khwela (62) are dealing with the recent aftermath of the persistent heavy rains.

Khwela’s house crumbled due to the flash flood in January 2024. She and her two children have moved into another four-room house where eight family members now reside.

Khwela said, “I don't even know what to tell you. We have called the councillor’s office and he said he will come to see. We lost everything. As you can see, the wall just came down on everything.”

Khwela lives on the steep side of the mountain. It looks like her house collapsed from an avalanche of mud coming from the top of the mountain. 

Fifty-nine schools in KwaZulu-Natal were destroyed by the flash floods in December and January 2024. Of those, 28 are in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, according to KZN Cogta.

In a statement, KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said that mobile classrooms were dispatched to mitigate the loss of functional classrooms.

A bridge in Zwelisha, KwaZulu-Natal, near iNanda was swept away. (Photo: Mandla Langa)


Mitigation measures


Roland E Schulze, professor emeritus of hydrology at the Centre for Water Resources Research School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, explained in an article on the 2022 floods what possible solutions could be implemented in future.

In the article, titled “What caused the floods that devastated coastal KwaZulu-Natal in April and did climate change play a part?”, Schulze said better infrastructure, drainage systems, emergency response and deeper research on why specific areas flood could help mitigate against future disasters.

“We need more research on local issues and the individual floods they experience, including flood-prone streams; steep slopes susceptible to mudslides; local soil-types that become saturated easily; and building materials used. In the longer term, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and close the gap between climate change policy and how it’s put into practice.” DM

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