Durban - The eThekwini Municipality says it has tried its best to meet the needs of those affected by the April floods.
It was commenting after the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) found that there was neglect and human rights violations at mass care centres where flood victims were living.
The SAHRC found there were shortages of drinking water and that sanitation remained an issue, along with the slow delivery of houses.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said: “We respect the findings of the Human Rights Commission findings however, we must all be mindful of the fact that this was a disaster that was a result of two waves of floods that were preceded by a devastating hard lockdown as a result of the pandemic, which to a large extent impacted negatively on the resources of the city.”
He added that the municipality was proud of the strides it was making in restoring the infrastructure damaged by these calamities, which happened in a very short space of time.
“The leadership of the municipality even way before the findings of the SAHRC, has constantly been engaging with the members of the public which were the victims of these disasters, to hear their concerns, but also to work with them to deal with the challenges we are currently experiencing.
“The perception that the city is neglecting the flood victims is unfortunate because evidence is there for everyone to see, that against all odds stacked against it, it has tried its level best to meet the needs of those in need.
“As we speak now, not even a single flood victim sleeps in the open. Yes, we do admit that they may not be as comfortable as they would be in their homes, but the city is pulling out all the stops for all these residents to lead a normal and dignified life,” said Mayisela.