WATCH | Durban Flood Victims to Move Into New Cornubia Homes by June, Says Mayor Xaba

Some Durban residents, who were displaced by recent floods, can expect to be relocated to new homes as early as June this year, this was declaration made by the city’s mayor Cyril Xaba during an oversight visit at the Cornubia Housing Development Project on Wednesday.

One of the city's key housing objectives was aimed to accommodating over a thousand flood victims currently living in temporary shelters and overcrowded camps.

During Xaba's site visit, he was upbeat about the city’s accelerated housing efforts, which included the construction of more than 1,200 units, specifically for those who were affected by the natural disaster.

The broader plans for Cornubia Housing Project, in the vicinity of Umhlanga and Phoenix, was to construct a total of 25 000 units

“I am optimistic that by June this year, we will have more than 1,000 units available to accommodate people who are currently in temporary emergency accommodation,” Xaba stated.

He also highlighted ongoing plans to construct over 400 Temporary Residential Units for residents still residing in transit camps.

To ensure a smooth transition, the municipality was expediting the connection of newly built units to essential services, including water, sanitation, and electricity, with the goal to allow beneficiaries to move in without unnecessary delays.

As part of the extensive infrastructure upgrade programme in the Cornubia area, road improvements will support an integrated public transport network, for the benefit of residents.

There are also moves for social amenities development together with the housing units, including schools, community halls, trading stalls, sports facilities, and clinics, all aligned with the government’s commitment to building sustainable human settlements.

For many displaced families, the road to recovery has been a challenging one.

Sipho Mthombeni, a former Mayville resident, who is currently living in a makeshift camp on the fringe of Durban's CBD, shared his frustrations about a lack of communication regarding their housing status with the Daily News.

“We have site managers here in our camp. If there are any issues or developments, he’s the person who inform us.

So far, we haven’t heard anything housing units being rolled out,” Mthombeni said.

Another displaced resident living at the camp is Cebelihle Simelane from Isipingo, who welcomed Mayor Xaba’s announcement.

“That comes as relief to some of us. Our current living conditions are inappropriate.

"When someone has their own home, it help to restore their dignity as a family. the mayor's announcement about houses becoming available in June is good news,” Simelane expressed.

DAILY NEWS