• 783 families still living in temporary accommodation after four years
• Families deserve more than temporary accommodation and shifting deadlines
• DA calls on DHS, eThekwini Municipality to urgently accelerate relocation
Please note Riona Gokool sound bite in English
While KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Department of Human Settlements (DHS) has confirmed the closure of eight eThekwini Municipality Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEAs), a recent update shows that there are still 2 484 people who have not yet received permanent housing.
The update (view here), presented to KZN’s Human Settlements portfolio committee, indicates that the more than 2 000 people, comprises 783 families. That they are still living in temporary accommodation after more than four years is unacceptable.
While the DA welcomes some progress where families have been moved into permanent homes, including projects in Cornubia, Illovo and Copesville, the DHS must stop treating incremental progress as an excuse for indefinite delays.
Regrettably, the DHS has acknowledged that a key target is at risk, with the relocation of the first 200 families to Cornubia delayed due to work not commencing as planned in July 2026.
The DA, as a partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) calls on the DHS and eThekwini Municipality to urgently accelerate the relocation of these families and for;
• A public, household-level relocation schedule, prioritising families who have spent the longest periods in TEAs;
• Immediate intervention to recover lost time on the Cornubia TRU programme;
• Monthly progress reporting against clear construction and relocation targets;
• A dedicated intergovernmental task team to resolve bottlenecks between provincial, national and municipal authorities; and
• Meaningful engagement with affected families so that they know when, where and how they will be permanently relocated.
These families deserve more than temporary accommodation and shifting deadlines. They deserve dignity, certainty and a permanent place to call home. The DA will continue to hold the department accountable until every remaining flood-affected family is moved into safe, permanent housing.