Damages to road infrastructure at over R5 billion: KZN Premier

Preliminary reports indicate that repairs to the affected road network in KwaZulu-Natal will cost over R5 billion.

The floods have impacted key national and arterial roads and highways.

In several instances, communities have been cut off due to collapsed bridges, mudslides, and caved-in roads.

Addressing the media in Durban, Premier Sihle Zikalala says some roads will need extensive repairs.

“To restore the road network to it safe conditions again most roads that were blocked so far have been cleared in some cases allowing single lane, work continues to restore access to the remaining road but some will need extensive care to restore them and ensure that they are in good condition. The estimated costs for road infrastructure damages is preliminary sitting at R5.6 billion.

Schools damaged

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education says the latest reports indicate that there are now over 600 schools that have been damaged by last week’s floods.

The damage is estimated to be over R400-million.

Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu shares more details:

Mobile classrooms are being dispatched to affected schools.

In some communities, classrooms are being used as shelters for displaced people.

“The latest update is that there are 660 schools, the schools that are not accessible the number has increased from 17 to 102, which the estimated damage in terms of rands and cents is in the tune of R442-million. We are in our discussions, we have started to engage issues of curriculum coverage as to how teaching and learning is going to take place more especially in the 102 schools,” says department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi.