DBSA's R1.4m for KZN flood relief
Chris Khumalo
13 January 2005
The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) has donated R1.4-million towards relief efforts in areas affected by the recent floods and storms in KwaZulu-Natal.
Luther Mashaba, operations manager for the DBSA in Durban, handed the cheque over to Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu on Wednesday.
Last month's devastating floods and rampaging storms flattened hundreds of homes in various districts of KwaZulu-Natal. About 10 people died in various parts of the province after being struck by lightning.
The money will be shared among the five worst-affected municipalities: Umsunduzi (Pietermaritzburg), Umzinyathi (around Dundee), uThungulu (around Empangeni), uMhlathuze (Empangeni/Richards Bay) and uMngungundlovu (outside Pietermarizburg).
"Due to the urgent need for relief, we have already handed over an amount of R500 000 to the uThungulu and Umhlathuze municipalities", Mabuyakhulu said. "The three remaining
municipalities will each receive an amount of R300 000."
"This is support in the short term to provide immediate relief towards people affected by the storms", Mashaba said, adding that his company was prepared to be a partner in long-term planning for early warning systems for the province.
Mabuyakhulu said that from 15 December to date, up to 15 incidents of violent storms with associated damage had been reported in the province.
"We have to date provided affected communities with more than 400 tents and distributed more than 3000 blankets", Mabuyakhulu said. "Our colleagues in the Department of Social Welfare and Population Development have been providing food parcels to the affected communities."
Mabuyakhulu added that his department was still accessing the magnitude of the damage in the affected areas.
"As soon as we have received a full report from our assessment team, a decision will be made by the provincial government whether to declare disaster
in these areas."
Mabuyakhulu also announced that Premier Soccer League champions Kaizer Chiefs had pledged to donate 5% of the gate takings from their weekend encounter with Bloemfontein Celtic towards the KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Relief Fund.
"We applaud this initiative by Kaizer Chiefs Football Club", Mabuyakhulu said. "We believe it is throwing a challenge even to local clubs to remember their supporters in their hour of need."
Source: BuaNews
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