EThekwini Municipality is working round the clock to restore services following the devastating floods this week. 

While some services remain disrupted, the city has made some headway in restoring electricity to many areas. Roads are being cleared of mud and debris and clean-up operations are underway. 

The City calls on the public to be patient as there will be delays in restoring services due to the extensive damage to infrastructure. Many areas are still inaccessible for repairs to be done. In addition, staff have also suffered personal tragedies in the disaster or are unable to reach their workplaces because of road conditions 

 

Several areas are without water and the city is calling on residents to conserve water if you still have supply. Umgeni Water has notified the city that two of the mainline feeder aqueducts are broken and therefore they are not supplying water to the Durban Heights reservoir. This will impact the supply of water to many areas in eThekwini. The city has dispatched tankers to supply water to residents in the interim. Technicians are working as fast as they can to restore services.

Please continue to report outages and faults to the call centres even though they are experiencing high call volumes. The public can also report faults using the eThekwini App. 

Toll free: 0801 313013 or 0800 311111 

Whats App: 073 148 3477 

Email: eservices@durban.gov.za 

 

Technicians are working in three shifts to ensure that power is restored as soon as possible. Power has been restored to most parts of the city and only three substations remain off because of extensive damage. In addition, more contactors have been brought onboard to support the repair effort.

The electricity call centres are also experiencing a high volume of calls. The public is urged to used use the alternative contact details to report any outages. 

 

Toll free: 0801 313 111 or 08003111111 

Whats App: 076 791 2449 

Email: electricity.faults@durban.gov.za 

 

The city is pleased that Eskom has also exempted eThekwini Municipality from loadshedding. 

 

The public is urged to contact the Emergency and Disaster call centre on 031 361 0000 to report any emergency situation. 

 

Beaches and pools remain closed until further notice due to hazardous conditions. All bathing, swimming, fishing, and recreational and sporting activities at beaches and rivers are not allowed.

Lifeguards and enforcement officers are patrolling the beaches to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. 

Residents are cautioned not to swim in rivers and dams or use water collected from these as the water is contaminated. The public is also advised not to eat any fish that may be found dead along the beaches or rivers and urged not to collect sea water which is usually used for cultural and religious purposes. 

However, residents and visitors can still enjoy activities such as jogging, walking, running and other healthy lifestyle exercises on the promenade.

Other facilities such as libraries, museums and parks not affected by flooding will be open. 

The public is also advised that the Bird Park and Zoo will be closed until further notice to allow staff to clean up the mud that has settled in the park. The birds and animals are well looked after, fed and are safe. 

 

The public is advised that 12 crocodiles escaped into the Tongaat River. Nine of them have been since been captured, but three are still on the loose. The search for the missing crocodiles is underway. A team from KZN Wildlife and the Municipality’s conservation Section is closely monitoring the situation. 

 

The City would like to advise residents that refuse collection has resumed and they may put out their refuse on the morning of scheduled collection. Garden sites are still not operational and therefore cannot accept any waste during this period. 

 

Some public bus services have resumed although Durban Transport is currently not operating in Umlazi and Rossburgh. Many routes remain inaccessible, and this hampers the full resumption of services. The People Mover service is uninterrupted. 

 

The following clinics are closed today due to flood damage: Wybank, Mpola, Kloof, Umzamo and Redcliffe clinic.

Mobile clinics and other clinics are all operational, however, the public may experience delays in some facilities while mop up operations are underway. 

 

SIZAKALA CENTRES 

Most Sizakala Centres are open however, a few remain closed due to flooding and damage. These include the following centres: Pinetown, Archie Gumede Thusong Centre, Maphephetheni, Warwick, Megacity, Illovu, KwaMakhutha, Mbumbulu. The public will be notified once these centres are open. 

 

Various community halls have been opened to accommodate communities in need of shelter. The Disaster Management teams, in partnership with volunteer organisations, have distributed blankets and meals to those who are destitute. The public is urged to contact local councillors if they require assistance is required in this regard. The City thanks all volunteers who have rendered assistance during this time. It is only by working together that we will be able to overcome the difficulties faced. 

The Municipality will continue to reassess the situation and advise the public of further developments. The city urges the community to be safe, and to drive carefully. Lower your speed and increase following distance as roads are still wet and slippery. 

 

The public is urged to refrain from generating or sharing fake news. The official municipal social media pages and website remain credible sources of municipal information. 

 

ENDS

Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela. 

For more information contact 031 311 4820/18