KZN COGTA calls for immediate prioritisation of all New Hanover flood victims

The KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Department has called for the immediate prioritisation of all affected flood victims in New Hanover, following devastating floods in the area.

MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi stressed that the line of response must be primarily focused on saving lives. He also noted that a majority of the flood victims are foreign nationals.

READ: Mop-up operations underway in KZN’s New Hanover after devastating floods

Buthelezi visited the area on Tuesday to assess the situation.

Disaster management teams are continuing with search and rescue efforts, as two people remain unaccounted for in New Hanover.

Authorities confirmed that during the evacuation process, a number of the affected people fled the provided community shelter. They later learned that those who fled were mostly Lesotho nationals who are likely in the country illegally.

During his visit, KZN COGTA MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi reiterated that the most important task at hand was to save all lives.

"For us now, is that we just secure lives, whether they are South Africans, whether they are Basotho, what is important is that they must be safe. We must provide a secure environment for them, we must provide shelter, we must provide food, and we provide clothing so that they are protected from the weather conditions," Buthelezi stated.

He confirmed that the process of profiling and identification would only be done once all victims have been catered to and secured.