Celani Sikhakhane
Government leaders continue to make big promises to flood victims while they are still struggling to release R1 billion for the deadly April disasters.
On Monday KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala led his executive as well as eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to monitor the recent damage that was caused by the heavy rain over the weekend.
As Zikala did with the April disaster, he has once again promised to assist people who are in temporary shelters including those who have just been hit by the recent floods.
“We will continue to assist those who are still in temporary shelters. We are also committed to build those bridges that were washed away by the weekend floods here at uMdloti and La Mercy and also uThongathi,” said Zikalala.
He promised that the damaged bridge that connects Mdloti and uThongathi on the M4 will be constructed in a space of a month.
He says the bridge that connects uMdloti and Ballito will take six months to be fixed.
While Zikalala makes such promises it has emerged that the infrastructure they promised to repair in a period of a month has not been fixed.
Community members who were displaced after floods have been living in churches and community halls because the government is unable to release the R1 billion that was promised last month when deadly floods first hit KZN and killed more than 400 people.
Community members in Verulam built their own bridge in a space of a few weeks because they did not want to wait for government promises.
Many Good Samaritans decided not to donate to the government as complaints were raised that the funds might not reach the victims due to corruption.
Zikalala said that there was a dispute in regards to a bridge that was supposed to be rebuilt in a month.
One of the companies who were bidding for the tender to fix the bridge took the matter to court as they were not happy with the tender processes.
Mayor Kaunda revealed that the damage at uMdloti water treatment was attended to by his municipal team.
