Durban - Disaster management teams have been placed on high alert in KwaZulu-Natal, following a severe weather warning with thunderstorms and flooding expected to hit large parts of the province this week.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka said heavy downpours could lead to localised flooding. Strong winds and large amounts of hail have also been forecast.
Over the next 24 hours, between 20mm and 40mm of rainfall is expected over parts of KZN, while between 5cm and 10cm of snowfall is expected over the Drakensberg and in Lesotho.
Residents living in low-lying areas and close to rivers in the Ugu, Harry Gwala, uMgungundlovu, uThukela, uMzinyathi and Amajuba Districts and the eThekwini Metro have been warned to take the necessary precautions, SA Weather Service forecaster Stacy Colborne said. She said the rain was expected to clear by Friday.
Raymond Perrier, co-ordinator of the National Homeless Network, said although sites for the homeless were set up five weeks ago when the weather was warmer and drier, they had made plans to deal with the approaching colder weather.
Perrier said that 400 men and 140 women who were disabled, elderly and sick had been housed in buildings. The men are being kept at the Denis Hurley Centre, while the women are being housed at the YMCA and a new municipal shelter in Mansel Road.
The younger and healthier have been housed in tents, he said.
“We have also identified the tents with leaks and have had them fixed. Sandbags have been used to prevent flooding on the grounds where the tents are situated,” he said.
Perrier added the eThekwini Municipality’s Safer City teams were on stand-by throughout the lockdown and working outside of normal working hours to ensure the homeless were being attended to.
“Running this programme is like trying to build a plane while flying it. We’re doing things as best as we can and as they come up,” Perrier said.
Deputy mayor Belinda Scott, who has taken the city’s homeless programme under her wing, said medical mobile clinics were on site to attend to the homeless daily.
She said additional blankets would be provided to the homeless.
“Each site has a manager, static security and enrolled nurses who are assisted by metro police.
“The homeless are never left unattended and the staff will be on duty during the inclement weather,” Scott said.
Homeless people on the streets of Durban, who are not staying in the shelters provided, said they used plastic sheets and cardboard to protect them from the rain and cold.
Nikiwe Chophela, who sleeps on the street with other elderly mothers, said they wrapped themselves in plastic every night to keep warm.
“When you are wet, it becomes even more cold and we battle to sleep,” said Chophela.
The Mercury