Floods have left thousands homeless, disrupted electricity and water services, and disrupted operations in one of Africa’s busiest ports, Durban. A provincial finance official estimated the total infrastructure damage at more than Rs 10 billion ($ 684.6 million). The province’s prime minister, Sihle Zikalala, said the death toll had risen to 443, with another 63 missing. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register In some of the worst-hit areas, residents said they were terrified by the thought of more rain, which was expected to fall on Sunday. Some faced an anxious wait for news of the disappearance of their loved ones. “We have not lost hope. Although we are constantly worried as the (days) continue,” said Sbongile Mjoka, a resident of Sunshine Village in eThekwini Municipality, whose 8-year-old nephew has been missing for days. “We are injured by the sight of the rain,” Mjoka, 47, told Reuters, adding that her house had been severely damaged. In a nearby semi-rural area, three members of the Sibiya family were killed when the walls of the room where they were sleeping collapsed and 4-year-old Bongeka Sibiya is still missing. “Everything is a stark reminder of what we lost and not being able to find (Bongeka) is catastrophic because we can not mourn or heal. At this stage we feel empty,” Letive Sibiya, 33, told Reuters. The office of President Cyril Ramaphosa announced late Saturday that it had delayed a working visit to Saudi Arabia to focus on the disaster. Ramafoza will meet with cabinet ministers to assess the response to the crisis. KZN Prime Minister Zikalala said in a televised address that the floods were among the worst in the recorded history of his province. “We must gather our collective courage and turn this disaster into an opportunity to rebuild our province,” he said. “The people of KwaZulu-Natal will rise up from this chaos.” ($ 1 = rt 14.6076) Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Siyabonga Sishi and Rogan Ward on eThekwini Written by Alexander Winning in Johannesburg Edited by Barbara Lewis and Helen Popper Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
