Durban — The festive season celebrations continued unabated as KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube spread cheer and joy to the people of Pietermaritzburg who were displaced by the April and May floods.
After being relocated to dignified accommodation just before Christmas, on Tuesday, she had Christmas lunch with the flood victims.
Dube-Ncube was accompanied by Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza and uMgungundlovu mayor Mzi Zuma.
Dube-Ncube on Tuesday said: “We have closed the chapter of the very painful signs of our province, where we had mass community centres that housed people since the April and May floods. We made a commitment that we do not want people to have Christmas at the community halls.
“We also send our appreciation to communities that have worked with us, who have been patient with us- who understood the challenges and difficulties we have faced around the relocation of the victims.
“We have had the “not in my backyard” syndrome. We have had communities who said no to building temporary houses because of the fear of crime.“
Dube-Ncube said many of these communities had been living together.
“Those people that are disadvantaged that don’t have proper houses, are also allowed to have proper houses. Let us all work together and ensure that in the next chapter, we do not experience such challenges again,” Dube-Ncube said.
Zuma said it was great the government structures worked together in this relocation programme.
“You must take responsibility for these temporary houses provided for you. You must clean your places. You must also hold hands and live together as a big family. There must be no infighting,” she said.
Daily News