Political parties assist Tongaat tornado victims

Political parties have joined the relief efforts for the KwaZulu-Natal storm victims.

The heavy rains and tornado that ravaged parts of the province on Monday claimed 11 lives and displaced 1,200 people, KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said.

Seven of those who died were from the north coast town of Tongaat, where there was significant damage to hundreds of households and infrastructure.

Community members and civil organisations, including the Red Cross and the Gift of the Givers, commenced with cleanup operations immediately after the storm.

On Tuesday, the provincial government and eThekwini municipality assessed the area and provided additional support, while ActionSA and the DA conducted similar oversights.

DA executive committee member and Tongaat councillor Yogis Govender, who was involved in relief efforts after the tornado, led DA KwaZulu-Natal leader Francois Rodgers and a delegation to affected homes.

The private sector and nonprofit organisations have also made huge donations, individually and with political parties, especially in mass-care centres in Magwaveni, Seatides, Sandfields and Fairbreeze.

Slindile Khuzwayo, who is supervising activities in Newtown hall, which has assisted more than 600 people, said were able to provide support mainly as a result of help from the government, civic organisations and political parties.

“From day one, we’ve had NGOs that I cannot name one by one — everyone from the Gift of the Givers, City of Hope [and] the Red Cross ... there is a lot and we are hoping for more government intervention as soon as government can,” she said.

The MK party was in Magwaveni on Tuesday and Wednesday with food hampers, water and other relief aid.

“I’m not politically affiliated to anyone, but they were here so I cannot discredit them. Their regional office donated in one hall yesterday, I think it’s KwaTshatsha, and today [Wednesday] their youth league is here. We’ve also had businessmen who have come to help feed the people,” Khuzwayo said.

Qiniso Cebane, MK youth league convener in eThekwini, said they had donated blankets, sponges and food that would last for three days.

“We will not stop here, we will try to help out in other ways as well because these are our people. Even though we’re not in government, we know people with deep pockets, and we spoke to them. We spoke to businessmen — from taxi owners to wholesalers and those with tenders, all from the private sector.”

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the IFP were also on the ground on Wednesday.

Representatives from the PA cleared fallen trees and debris from roads in Fairbreeze while IFP provincial chairperson Thami Ntuli made donations in Magwaveni.

Jay Lovey Govender, chair of the Tongaat Residents Association, said the visit by a government delegation to the area on Tuesday was inspiring.

“They assessed the damage and promised to work with us in addressing the problem, so we are very encouraged by this.”

She said other political parties had also visited and provided aid to the community.

On Wednesday, social development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza and eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda joined a team of social workers in Tongaat.

The department has formed a partnership with different sectors, including the Hollywood Foundation, Red Cross and SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), to assist the affected communities with psychosocial assistance as well as help with replacing documents, such as IDs and grant cards.

Sassa would also help pupils who had lost school uniforms.

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