Emergency housing team sent to help Nongoma storm victims

A heavy storm hit several homes in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, leaving some families homeless. Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has dispatched the department’s emergency housing team to establish the extent of damages caused by the storm.

According to the department’s preliminary assessments, to date, several households in Ekubuseni, Gomodo and Holinyoka villages were largely affected, leaving four households homeless.

“After the completion of the assessments, the Emergency Housing Unit will then intervene based on the four categories of emergency housing interventions provided by the department,” said Ms Kubayi.

“The four categories of emergency housing interventions include restoration, relocation, rebuilding and repairs.”

She added that restoration provides building materials to all households whose structures were destroyed by the storm, while relocation provides Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEA) for all homeless families.

Rebuilding involves reconstructing Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) for all destroyed mud houses, while repairs include fixing all damaged formal houses after the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has completed the structural assessments.

“I have directed officials to ensure that affected households are assisted as a matter of urgency. We have roped in one of our agencies, the NHBRC, to help the team assess the integrity of all structures that have been affected,” Ms Kubayi said.

The Emergency Housing Unit, established in 2023, is tasked with the responsibility of responding to emergencies, including fires and floods.

This is done through collaboration with other spheres of government.

“Our main objective in emergency housing response is to ensure that we respond swiftly and provide solutions that will enable the affected communities to rebuild their homes,” the minister said.