Government Supports Storm-Affected Families’ Recovery

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 The government has reaffirmed its commitment to assisting families affected by storms and strong winds, accelerating recovery efforts and investing in long-term climate adaptation measures.

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Citizens are urged to remain vigilant, heed official alerts, and promptly report any hazards to local authorities during adverse weather conditions.

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The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, alongside KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, conducted an oversight visit to the Impendle Local Municipality on 17 June.

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They assessed the damage caused by recent extreme weather events, which displaced hundreds of residents.

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The visit followed a Level 5 weather warning issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) last week.

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Impendle was among the most severely impacted areas in the province, following violent windstorms that damaged homes and community infrastructure.

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According to the department, a total of 140 households were affected—58 homes were destroyed and 137 others sustained partial damage.

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Approximately 962 people were directly impacted, with 31 families currently displaced and depending on the support of relatives and neighbours for shelter.

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The worst-affected communities are spread across five wards. Disaster management teams from local, district, and provincial structures have been deployed to assist.

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Relief efforts are currently underway, including the provision of temporary shelter—some of which is being provided by community members—along with food parcels and monetary vouchers for affected families.

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Minister Hlabisa commended the swift coordination between different spheres of government and called for the implementation of long-term resilience measures.

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“What we are seeing here must push us to improve our response systems and build safer communities. We must not only rebuild but rebuild better,” he said.

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Premier Ntuli echoed the importance of proactive planning, calling the disaster a “wake-up call”.

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“Our systems must be more resilient to protect lives and livelihoods,” he added.

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The department confirmed that leaders engaged directly with community members and disaster response teams on the ground to ensure that immediate needs were addressed and that medium- to long-term recovery plans are well-informed.

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In addition to addressing the situation in Impendle, government leaders extended condolences to the families of two people who lost their lives in eThekwini due to storm-related incidents.

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Sympathies were also extended to the families of 12 people who tragically died in a road accident involving a bus and a truck in KwaZulu-Natal during the same period.

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The department noted that KwaZulu-Natal continues to face increasingly frequent and severe weather patterns, which are attributed to the growing effects of climate change.

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As part of the response, the National Disaster Management Centre has been tasked with conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments across the country. These are aimed at informing improved early warning systems, infrastructure resilience planning, and proactive community risk management.

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On 13 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Mthatha in the Eastern Cape to offer support and assess damage following recent floods that claimed approximately 90 lives.

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The floods caused widespread destruction to homes, government buildings, roads, hospitals, and schools—highlighting the urgent need to confront climate change.

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President Ramaphosa remarked that such extreme weather events are becoming a new reality for South Africa, with both the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal experiencing recurrent annual disasters.

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