By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African National Road Agency (Sanral) has announced that the N2 between Izingolweni and Harding is closed due to part of the road being damaged due to heavy rainfall.
KwaZulu-Natal has been battered by extreme heavy rains since the 2023 festive season, leading to the deaths of at least 45 people.
Sanral Project Manager, Samantha Dladla, “said the closure of this part of the N2 in KwaZulu-Natal is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of road users as that is our top priority.”
Dladla added that as a result of this closure, motorists are advised to use the alternative route via the P58 road between Booker and Harding.
The KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said that in the South Coast under Ugu District, several roads had to be closed and traffic was diverted after flash floods damaged major roads.
Cogta said that in eThekwini Metro, some roads and bridges have been affected by the heavy rain, resulting in some roads being completely closed, limiting access to communities, and social and economic facilities.
Mxolisi Kaunda, the mayor of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality, said the infrastructure in the city has been severely damaged.
The SA Weather Service (SAWS) warned on Tuesday that the severe weather in the province is not over, cautioning of a wet week ahead.
The weather service added that more heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected on both Wednesday and Thursday.
The Durban area population expanded after the end of the apartheid system in the 1990s. Before that, it was governed by racial laws that gave preference to white people.
Between 1996 and 2001, official data shows the population within the municipality increased by 2.3% over the five-year period. The rate of population growth then slowed, but the city continued to expand.
This put pressure on the existing infrastructure, which has failed to keep up.
After serious flooding in 2019, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry called on the authorities to tackle infrastructure issues urgently, including carrying out “a serious review of storm water drainage systems.