Royal Hotel in Durban.
Durban — Flood victims who had been living at the Royal Hotel in Durban but were relocated to accommodations in Reservoir Hills said their living conditions had forced them to abandon the property.
DA KZN human settlements spokesperson Marlaine Nair said the flood victims abandoned the dilapidated property which had no running water for four days and counting.
Nair said this in a statement issued to the media on Sunday.
The group alleged that they were:
She said that the DA had been reliably informed of this by the flood victims who were moved from Truro Hall to the Royal Hotel earlier this month and then moved to run-down student accommodations in Reservoir Hills, where they had no running water.
Nair said the flood victims were originally moved into the luxury hotel as part of an ANC PR stunt but just days later they had been effectively left to fend for themselves at a venue with shocking conditions.
“KZN’s flood victims have already suffered enormously. It is inconceivable that KZN human settlements MEC Nthuthuko Mahlaba and his department could leave them to live under such disturbing and unsafe conditions,” Nair said.
“The group claimed that they were given salty borehole water to drink and some children who drank it broke out in a rash.
“This situation cannot continue for another day. This group have been robbed of all dignity and left to endure harassment by the very people that are supposed to be looking after them,” Nair said.
“It is increasingly clear that this ANC-led government does not care. Instead of arranging suitable interim accommodation for this vulnerable group, they have kicked them from pillar to post.
“In spite of a budget for emergencies such as this, which allows for the rental of safe and suitable accommodation, with water and electricity, KZN’s provincial government has instead chosen to allow people to suffer,” Nair said.
She said that the DA will insist that MEC Mahlaba and his department use this money to accommodate flood victims in a dignified manner and not pay exorbitant rent to landlords for unsuitable accommodation
The maltreatment of KZN’s flood victims can no longer continue.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the DA will picket at the offices of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Durban and hand over a memorandum of demands, calling for their drastic and long-overdue intervention.
“KZN’s flood victims can no longer be treated like second-class citizens,” Nair added.
Recently, DA KZN leader Francois Rodgers said that they would look at the matter of the flood victims from a legal perspective when it comes to the failures of the SAHRC, eThekwini Municipality and the KZN government.
“The SAHRC has done little to nothing to assist, we will now be exploring legal action in order to ensure that flood victims get housing and dignity speedily,” Rodgers said.
Furthermore, Rodgers said it was critical that the SAHRC step up and fulfil its mandate.
“These issues have now become a human rights crisis following local, provincial and national government's failure to act.”
Daily News