Amnesty slams govt as KZN flood victims remain trapped in shelters
Amnesty International South Africa says some KwaZulu-Natal flood survivors have been stuck in temporary shelters for nearly three years.
It states that some of those facilities are now also experiencing flooding.
The group says the situation exposes the serious failures of authorities' plans and response to disasters.
In a new report released this week, Amnesty says the well-being of more than five million people living in informal settlements is at risk.
It says eThekwini Municipality is one of the hardest-hit metros.
The organisation's Executive Director, Shenilla Mohamed, said that millions remain without adequate housing, basic services or long-term relocation plans, despite constitutional guarantees.
She added that the climate crisis is worsening the situation, and those with the least resources continue to suffer the most.
"Informal settlements in South Africa, along with other underserved areas like temporary relocation areas, are a sore reminder of the racial injustice and disenfranchisement that were hallmarks of the colonial and apartheid regimes preceding 1994. However, this does not mean that we must ignore the fact that the ongoing housing crisis and the failure of successive governments to guarantee the right to access to adequate housing are among other human rights."
"The government is failing the millions of people trapped in these underserved areas, especially in a time when economic hardships and poverty are rife. People live in informal settlements because there is a lack of affordable and accessible formal housing, and sometimes because they are the only affordable means of living close to work or work opportunities. Article 10 of South Africa's Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, is clear that everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected, no matter who they are."
Amnesty has called for urgent upgrades to informal settlements and for disaster risk planning to be built into urban development.
In July, the KZN Human Settlements Department had set aside R650 million to build homes for flood victims in Cornubia, north of Durban.
"Despite South Africa having strong legislation and policy and clear international commitments, as with so many other things in this country, implementation remains the issue. The reality points to obvious failures of the government to adequately and thoroughly realise these obligations, and this comes at a huge cost to the human rights, lives and livelihoods of millions of people," Mohamed said.
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