Reports indicate that the banks of Bellspuit River burst causing flash floods in Ladysmith and the surrounding areas on Christmas eve,  which resulted in loss of human life and many people being displaced. There has also been reported incidents of demise in other parts of the province due to heavy rains or adverse weather conditions in the province. By the evening of Friday, 29 December 2023, the flash floods and /or adverse weather conditions resulted in a death toll of approximately 18 people in the Province, which is expected to increase as the search and rescue measures continue. The Commission extends its sincerest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and to all communities that have been impacted by this tragedy.

The Commission commends the swift action that has been taken by the Government, civil society, all other stakeholders and citizens who have immediately come to the aid of those impacted by these flash floods and/or adverse weather conditions. The Commission further calls for the intensification of disaster preparedness plans, including recovery measures amidst adverse weather conditions that are anticipated, in order to minimize further devastation and loss of human life.

The Commission is concerned by the warnings of heavy rains during the upcoming weekend into the following week – as issued by the South African Weather Service. Should this materialize, this will exacerbate the flash floods and also set back the recovery efforts that are in place.

The province is again affected by the floods, while it’s still dealing or responding to some of the effects  of the deadliest natural disaster (floods) that was experienced in April 2022, which resulted in more than 400 people losing their lives. The Commission again reiterates that lessons ought to be learnt from this recurring tragedy.  Among others, greater attention should be directed to the concerns and effects of climate change and appropriate measures should be implemented timeously to minimize the devastating impact that has been plaguing the province. The Commission further reiterates that urgent attention and institutional responses must be drawn to the impact of climate change on human rights. Related to this, an ‘all of society’ approach is required to effectively mitigate against the compounding service delivery and infrastructure challenges in local municipalities throughout the country and particularly in the KZN Province.

The Commission calls on government, stakeholders and communities to exercise caution and to cooperate with one another and to respect and observe each other’s rights in responding to and dealing with the flash floods and the adverse weather conditions.

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