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Severe weather conditions in KwaMakhutha township south of Durban.
The family of a 60-year-old woman who was washed away by floods in Lamontville in KwaZulu Natal says they are pinning their hopes on search and rescue teams to find her remains.
Her daughter, Ntombikhona Mhlongo and her family are among at least 280 families that have been relocated to the Bayview Hall in Chatsworth.
Their informal dwelling was washed away on Tuesday night by heavy rains.
Six other bodies were recovered in various parts of the eThekwini metro.
Mhlongo says they want to find her mother’s body so that they can bury her with dignity and find closure.
“From last night until now we are still waiting, nothing. This is not the first time we experienced floods. We were moved from Mega Village on the 2021 floods to Gwala Street . They said it was a temporary shelter. They were supposed to be here around 6am, if they really cared about us. And tell us what more information and tell us what the future they have for us, especially for us who are still waiting for their mother. Not even a call to tell us any information, we are blind,” says Mhlongo as she cries about her missing mother.
Flood survivors spent their night at the hall sleeping on mattresses provided by good samaritans.
Many have lost all their belongings, including school uniforms and books, food and ID documents.
60-year-old Helen Khonjwayo says she is left with only the clothes on her back.
“We are affected because the rain was so heavy, tried to take some stuff to go out and we went to the shelter and waited there. Other people went on a different and they were swept by the floods. They took us from Lamontville settlement to Bayview Hall. Everything when the floods come they take us to the hall. We have no hope that they gonna give us something like houses,” says Khonjwayo.
VIDEO | Families relocated to the Bayview Civic Centre:
