KZN counts cost of storms

2009-11-28 20:05

Durban - The recent KwaZulu-Natal storm affected 1 256 people, the provincial department of local government said on Saturday afternoon.

Local government MEC Nomusa Dube visited areas around Newcastle on Saturday after another storm hit the area on Friday afternoon, almost two weeks after another storm caused damage worth more than R340 million in the area and claimed eight lives.

Speaking after inspecting the damage caused by the hail storms, Dube appealed to businesses to assist those affected.

“While we will engage national government to partner with us as a province to provide relief to the victims, we are appealing to business to also assist as much as possible," she said.

Accompanied by MEC for Health, Dr Sbongiseni Dlomo, Dube also hand-delivered relief stocks to the victims of the hail storm.

“A team from the disaster management division of the department will continue to assess the extent of the devastation as the current figures are preliminary," she said.

Affected areas included the whole of the Madadeni Township, Mathukuza low-cost housing areas and the Madlangeni area.

The police station in Danhauser was also damaged.

People were being temporarily housed in tents and had been provided with blankets and food.

A consolidated report on all the disasters that recently hit the province will be prepared by the MEC before it is considered by the provincial cabinet on Wednesday.

- SAPA