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KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has reacted with outrage to the killing of yet another KZN councillor – Sthe Mhlongo who represented uMngeni local municipality in the uMgungundlovu district council.

Councillor Mhlongo reportedly died in a hail of bullets after unknown assailants knocked on his door house at around 2 am today. The assailants apparently pretended to be police.

“We condemn this cold blooded murder in the strongest terms because violence has no place in our democratic dispensation. We urge the law enforcement to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice without delay,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube.  This is a time for us to stand together as society and draw line in the sand to isolate and expose criminal elements who are no respecter for human lives. We urge communities to be vigilant so that we can prevent the proliferation of violence in our communities.

KZN Cogta has expressed its heartfelt condolences to the family, community and political party of the slain councillor. The department will be in contact with the grieving family regarding the funeral arrangements for Cllr Sthe Mhlongo and these will be announced to the public in due course.

 

For more information contact: KZN Cogta spokesperson Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403 or Msawakhe Mayisela on 0609664220

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KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube has expressed her sadness at the passing of Inkosi Nicholus Valela Mbotho of the Mambotho Traditional Council in the uMuziwabantu local municipality (Ugu district).

“We are very saddened by the passing of Inkosi Mbotho. His tragic passing takes place at a time when the people of the Ugu district are still coming to terms with the passing of Inkosi Khawula which happened last month. In a short space of time we have lost two revered traditional leaders who played a meaningful role in the development of our communities,” said Dube-Ncube.

The department is in contact with the family regarding the funeral arrangements and, once confirmed, these will be communicated to the public.

 

For more information contact: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; or Msawakhe Mayisela, 060 966 4220

 

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Swift reaction by the KZN Provincial Government through its political and technical task teams in the Ugu district municipality has yielded positive results when an agreement was reached with the municipal employees who embarked on an illegal strike recently.

The strike had impacted negatively on the municipality to discharge its constitutional responsibilities. This includes, among others, water provision and sanitation.

According to Acting KZN MEC for Cogta Weziwe Thusi, local government is an important sphere of government that is in close proximity to the citizens.

“As the provincial government, it is incumbent on us that we nip in the bud any hindrance that could paralyse local government. We will ensure that the situation returns back to normal with immediate effect. It is our duty to ensure that all our municipalities live up to their constitutional mandate without any impediments. We are also appealing to our workers in all our municipalities to refrain from resorting to acts of sabotage when they are in disagreement with their employers. This illicit behaviour is getting out of hand and it is worrying that in a democratic country, some workers would tamper with water and electricity systems, thus depriving innocent citizens of their right to basic services, in the hope that their grievances would be attended to with speed by the authorities. It is wrong and illegal and it must come to a stop,” said Thusi.

The Provincial Government would like to sincerely apologise to all residents who may have been inconvenienced by the illegal industrial action. Further updates will be provided as recovery process of the district’s water systems continues.

Media inquiries: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; or Msawakhe Mayisela, 060 966 4220 

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The KZN province has today launched a disaster relief fund to facilitate donations from corporates and private individuals to bolster government efforts In mitigating the impact of natural disasters. The initiative is in response to the devastation wrought in the coastal areas of the province by the mega-storm of 9 October this year.

“The provincial government’s capacity to deal with the effects of disasters is constantly improving but there are times when our skilled and dedicated disaster management teams get overwhelmed as was the case during the 9 October mega-storm and in its aftermath,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube whose department manages disasters.

The mega-storm had multiple casualties which also included minors and displaced several communities. The damage to public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and roads occurred on an unprecedented scale. A total of 9720 private homes were also damaged. Assistance to all affected communities is still ongoing.

“We are moved by the outpouring of goodwill we have witnessed in the wake of the storm with businesses and private individuals making donations to complement our disaster relief assistance to communities. This disaster relief fund is the culmination of our efforts to harness all this goodwill effectively,” said Dube-Ncube.

KZN Cogta’s own disaster management teams respond to every reported incident in conjunction with the disaster management teams stationed in district municipalities. The department’s records show disasters ranging from floods to hailstorms and occurring with increasing frequency and intensity as a result of climate change.

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“We wish to assure all donors that all donations to the disaster relief fund will be spent with utmost effiency and transparency to benefit those most in need of assistance. The fund will provide both emergency relief assistance and aftercare to disaster-stricken communities in tandem with our established disaster management protocols,” said Dube-Ncube.

KZN Cogta wishes to appreciate the assistance it has received from the Durban Chamber of Commerce in arranging today’s fundraising breakfast in Umhlanga where the disaster relief fund was formally launched in the presence of representatives of the province’s business community.

For more information contact: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; and Msawakhe Mayisela, 060 966 4220

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In the aftermath of yesterday’s mega-storm, the KZN Provincial Government together with the eThekwini Metro and other affected municipalities is currently mounting a spirited response as part of efforts to alleviate the impact of the ferocious storm and to bring the lives of the affected residents and businesses back to normalcy.

“We are taking stock of yesterday’s mega-storm and streamlining our joint efforts as provincial and local government to begin with clean-up operations. We wish to assure the communities that our government is on top of its game in our endeavour to minimise the impact of this storm on our residents and businesses,” said Acting KZN MEC for Cogta Weziwe Thusi.

As many as eight casualties have been reported and several communities have been rendered homeless. Many people’s lives have been interrupted by displacement, power outages and severe damage to both public and private infrastructure. In addition, KZN’s schools and hospitals have experienced serious interruptions to their operations.

“A total of 42 schools in KZN were gravely affected by the storm and nine of these are high schools where there are upcoming matric examinations. Plans are however underway to ensure that pupils from all affected schools will be able to sit their exams as per the set schedule and the Department of Education will be communicating directly with the learners and parents,” said Thusi.

The torrential rain has also caused enormous damage to healthcare institutions largely in the eThekwini metro, including Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, RK Khan Hospital, Wentworth Hospital, St Aidans Hospital, King Edward Hospital, Clairwood Hospital, and Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. All affected patients have been moved to safe premises.

“The extent of damage to public and private infrastructure in KZN includes flooded and blocked roads, 19 collapsed buildings and perimeter walls, blocked storm water drains and sewer lines, flooded buildings and households and power outages as a result of electric cable damage. We are currently assisting all displaced communities and working on all necessary repairs,” said Thusi.

The KZN Provincial Government is appealing to all private sector insurance companies to expedite the processing of claims to assist their clients. The provincial executive is also assessing the extent of damages to make a determination on formal declaration of disaster areas if this is deemed necessary in terms of the applicable legislation.

“Unfortunately, we have also experienced incidents where some people used social media for the wrong reasons to disseminate and distribute various hoaxes. We strongly condemn such practices as they cause unnecessary panic. Members of the public are therefore urged to desist from distributing unverified information about the mega-storm, its impact and the clean-up operations,” said Thusi.

Tomorrow, KZN Premier Willies Mchunu will be meeting with the bereaved families in Durban as his government expresses gratitude to the province’s disaster management teams for their hard work and dedication as well as to various NGOs and individuals for their efforts in providing emergency assistance to those in distress. The government’s appeal is for these activities to continue.

 

For more information contact: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; or Msawakhe Mayisela, 060 966 4220

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The KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) as directed by KZN Premier Willies Mchunu, is coordinating relief efforts amid the worst storm to hit many parts of KZN.  The storm has so far caused major damage on hospitals, factories, homes and other key infrastructure.  It has caused power outages and 2 deaths reported at this stage.  Many residential areas, businesses especially in Ethekwini Metro are reporting flash flooding.

Other major incidents have been reported in Nquthu Local Municipality, in ward 8 of Mbewunye where an 8 years old girl was struck by lightning and in ward 2, KwaMngxangala area, where a 46 years old male drowned while trying to cross an overflowing river. Ugu has reported that Mbango bridge under Ray Nkonyeni LM & Umzinto bridge in Mdoni are flooding.

The traffic authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Most of eThekwini areas are affected by strong winds with heavy downpours resulting in the falling of trees & some housing infrastructure in area areas of umlazi, amanzimtoti, Montclair.

The Acting MEC for Cogta, Weziwe Thusi, has activated and dispatched all disaster management teams to respond to the situation on the ground.  Currently teams are providing emergency relief led by Mayors, Councilors, Amakhosi, Izinduna, ward councilors and community development workers.

MEC Thusi has also activated Joint Operations Centers in all affected municipalities which are coordinating relief and rapid response efforts.

“We are urging residents in all parts of the province to exercise extra caution as the heavy rain and gale-force winds will be in the province for the rest of today” said MEC Weziwe Thusi..

We warn those living next to river banks and low-lying areas as localised flooding is expected along the coast and in many parts of the South Coast and eThekwini metro,” said Thusi.

All reported weather-related incidents will be attended to and residents are urged to contact their  councillors.

“We are also urging motorists to avoid all but necessary travel as some roads such as the N2 freeway has been closed in both directions at Amanzimtoti due to severe flooding caused by a massive storm that hit this area this morning. Motorists are requested to tune into weather reports as they plan their journeys,” said Thusi.

The department is also warning that the extreme levels of rainfall experienced today will be followed by a cold front which is expected to reach KZN by the weekend. Disaster management teams will continue to provide emergency assistance as long as necessary.

Communities can contact the following numbers of disaster management in their respective municipalities:

 

For urgent assistance communities can contact the following disaster personnel

 

Provincial Disaster Center:  0800 005133

Ethekwini:  0834615073 ( Mr V Ngubane)

Ugu:  (0823324000)            Mr Makhosi Mgobhozi

uMgungundlovu: 0828860747 ( Lindiwe Serero)

Uthukela:  0763318177 (Bongi Hlomuka)

uMzinyathi: 0828422859 (Mzwandile Hadebe)

Amajuba:  0836041904 (OT Hadebe)

Zululand: 0828132925 (Sipho Dlamini)

uMkhanyakude:  0769253252 (Sfiso Ngema)

King Cetshwayo:  0726252983 (Thabo Mlambo)

Ilembe : 071 879 7155 (Sfiso Gqubula)

Harry Gwala:  0828057892  (Thandi Dzanibe)

 

For more information contact: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; or Msawakhe Mayisela, 060 966 4220

 

Over 100 000 members of the community in the Umuziwabantu Local Municipality and neighboring municipalities will for the first time have uninterrupted supply of clean water. This after the Acting MEC for KZN Cogta, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo officially launched the monumental Weza Water Treatment Plant in the area of KwaJali.

Following inaccessibility to clean water, the community had no option but to compete with livestock to access water sources.

“This is real development and our people are extremely happy for they will now have access to clean water 24/7. We have indeed restored their dignity and we will not rest until we have got universal access to basic services in this province. We have spent over R15 million for this infrastructure and we are certain it will make a tremendous difference in this community” said Dhlomo

Almost 90 percent of households in the province have got access to clean water. This bears testimony to government’s commitment to bringing a better life for all citizens.

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Efforts by an intergovernmental task team comprising of the Provincial Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Department of Water and Sanitation and Ugu District municipality have resulted in the supply of water being restored in several households and businesses that had experienced water shortages in the past few days.

The municipality worked around the clock in the past week to get to the root of the problem when several areas experienced sudden water shortages.  While the problem cannot be attributed to a specific cause, a few possibilities are being examined.  A team of experts has been roped in to ensure a speedy resolution of the problem.

While a permanent resolution to the problem is being sought, water tankers are crisscrossing the district to ensure that communities continue to have access to clean water.  Static tanks have been placed in strategic areas to ensure that no one is without water at any given point in time.  Public facilities such as hospitals have been prioritised to minimise disruptions in the provision of critical services while also preventing loss of lives.

“We sincerely apologise to the whole community within Ugu district for the inconvenience that this situation has caused.  I want to assure everyone concerned that the problem is receiving our utmost attention.  I have issued clear instructions to the team that we must pull all stops to resolve this matter within the shortest possible time.  We would like to thank the public for remaining calm while allowing us space and a bit of time to find a solution to this problem.  This is a challenging time for all of us” said MEC Weziwe Thusi, Acting MEC for Cogta.

A 24 hour call centre and an sms line has been set up to handle all queries relating to this matter.  The numbers are 0800092837 for the call centre and sms line is 44751.

 

Media Enquiries: Cogta Spokespersons Lennox Mabaso 082 884 2403 or Msawakhe Mayisela 060 966 4220 and Ugu Spokesperson France Zama 071 447 2098.

Date: 28 September 2017

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KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube has conveyed her condolences to the Zungu family in the King Cetshwayo district municipality where a family member was electrocuted and died while another has been hospitalised when a tree fell onto electricity wires.

“This tragic incident which took place on Saturday is yet another reminder of the unnecessary loss of life that our province suffers every year as a result of inclement weather conditions. Our disaster management teams are in contact with the family to provide the necessary support” said Dube-Ncube.

We have also issued a warning to communities that more rains are expected which might lead to localised flooding along the province’s coast today and along the north coast tomorrow. This warning comes as the province has commenced with mop-up operations following three days of heavy rains and strong gale force winds that have caused numerous weather-related incidents across KZN.

Communities have been urged to take extreme caution as inclement weather poses a great danger to residents of low lying areas. “We urge communities to be vigilant and not cross rivers and bridges in low lying areas. Our province has seen cases where cars and people got swept away while trying to cross low lying bridges. This leads to unnecessary loss of life,” said Dube-Ncube.

Disaster Management teams are on alert and schools are urged to take stock of the weather before embarking on excursions. “Our disaster teams have logged and responded to several incidents in Ugu, eThekwini, Richards Bay and Ladysmith, which impacted on both public infrastructure and private property and disrupted lives in most parts of the province. Our interim assessments reveal that houses have had their roofs blown away and trees had fallen over and blocked roads to damage property and vehicles,” said Dube-Ncube.

Media enquiries: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; or Senzelwe Mzila 082 302 3472.

Date: 18 September 2017

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KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is taking stock of the two days of heavy rain and strong gale force winds that have caused numerous weather-related incidents across the province. The department is also embarking on a clean-up operation to ensure that life throughout KZN returns to normal.

Over the weekend KZN experienced inclement weather conditions moving in from the west as predicted by the South African Weather Service.

“Our disaster teams have logged and responded to several incidents in Ugu, eThekwini and Ladysmith, which impacted on both public infrastructure and private property and disrupted lives in most parts of the province. The interim assessments reveal that houses had roofs blown away, trees falling over and blocking roads and damaging property and vehicles,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

At least 3 people reported to be critically injured and were admitted to hospital.  No deaths are reported at this stage.

“All reported incidents are being attended to promptly by our disaster management teams which provided immediate disaster relief. We are still assessing the long-term impact of damages to roads, public infrastructure and facilities as well as private properties and we continue to offer assistance to all concerned,” said Dube-Ncube.

KZN Cogta’s disaster management teams are working around the clock throughout the weekend in close cooperation with all District Disaster Management Centres that serve individual municipalities.

“We are responding to the emergencies on the ground with shorter response times and more comprehensive relief packages. We would like to thank all our disaster management teams for their dedication which has mitigated the impact of many disasters for the communities that have no one else to turn to when disasters strike,” said Dube-Ncube.

For more information contact: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403; or Msawakhe Mayisela, 060 966 4220

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