The eThekwini Municipality has conceded in its recent evaluation that blocked drains could have contributed to storm related damages in February and March.

A report from the City’s disaster management and emergency control unit has revealed that damage to municipal infrastructure and property damage included 231 blocked stormwater drains; 18 sinkholes; four bank/wall collapses; 6 landslides; 35 obstructions/sand on the road and 35 damaged road /washaways. 

The City stated that most damage was as a result of mud slides due to the saturated ground and also blocked drains which resulted in difficult driving conditions for motorists.

The report stated that the municipality was still responding to the effects of rainfall experienced on February 19, 2025 when other disruptive rainfalls occurred on February 25 and March 2. 

It said that the impact of the disruptive rainfall culminated in additional damage to areas that had been severely affected by the past two incidents.

According to the report, Lamontville, Clairwood and Isipingo experienced cumulative rainfall within a short period of time thus resulting in blocked drains which affected residential, business and network roads, causing economic disruptions. 

Twelve people were reported dead in the different incidents and the municipality facilitated the temporary shelter of 90 people at the Bayview Hall – these were residents of ward 74 Gwala Street in Lamontville.

A total of 140 people were transported to Impala self catering apartments in South Beach and their belongings were taken to a storage facility. 

Among the issues that had been noted was the approval for burial assistance for families.

The municipality also intends to conduct assessments and maintenance on stormwater infrastructure periodically in order to better prepare for instances of above normal heavy rainfall. The matter will come up for debating and approval at the full council meeting later this month.

ANC Exco member Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala suggested that the City improve on its empowerment of councillors and ward committee members.

Madlala said a toolkit, consisting of emergency contact numbers and disaster procedures, be handed out to roleplayers for better coordination and immediate response to life threatening situations in storms.

Madlala called for the staff number in the disaster management unit to be increased.

“In some areas there is a volunteer corps where people mobilise their own resources to clean up roads or cut trees that have fallen onto the roads. We need to train and equip other communities as well to adopt the same philosophy. Communities should be trained in rescue operations. This can assist and multiply assistance on the ground for disaster management teams,” he said. 

Madlala also suggested a relook at the indigent burial policy. He said it was costly for people to rebury family members when graves were washed away. 

Ethekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said assessments, clean ups and humanitarian relief were ongoing with the March damages estimated at R1.5 billion.

Chairperson of Trading Services, Councillor Mduduzi Nkosi, who was on the ground with Xaba to assess the damages, said the city needed to get the funding that is required to attend to the infrastructure damages and also to rebuild the houses that were damaged.

DA Caucus Chief Whip Councillor Yogis Govender, said eThekwini services are centralised and in most cases the teams are unable to get to areas away from the city and residents have to seek help from within local structures.

Govender said the same applied to Metro Police who had limited if no visibility, as they have insufficient vehicles and manpower.

“When roads are flooding, this essential service needs to be activated immediately to stand off at flooded roads or to direct traffic. Ethekwini must prioritise capacitating these critical units with specialised vehicles, staff and decentralised depots or stations. Outlying areas are usually the worst hit and don’t get assistance in real time,” Govender said.  

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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