Over 113 new houses for KZN flood victims

Posted on August 21, 2025August 21, 2025 by

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has confirmed that over 113 new houses will be built within the next four months to provide permanent shelter for families displaced by the 2022 and 2025 floods.

The announcement was made by Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli during the recent Operation Siyahlola Oversight Programme, which monitors service delivery and infrastructure projects across the province.

Ntuli said the initiative forms part of KwaZulu-Natal’s accelerated disaster recovery plan, which aims to ensure that by 2027, every flood victim in the province will be accommodated in a safe, permanent, and fully serviced home.

The Premier highlighted that the houses will be built to high-quality, disaster-resilient standards, and will include special adaptations for people with disabilities, ensuring inclusivity, accessibility, and long-term comfort.

“These 113 houses represent a promise in action. Our designs are disaster-resilient and inclusive, catering even for people with disabilities. Rebuilding after disaster must mean building better and building for all,” Ntuli said.

Long-term housing plan
The Provincial Government, through the Department of Human Settlements, has made significant progress in fast-tracking the resettlement of flood victims, ensuring that affected families are moved from temporary shelters into safe, permanent housing.

According to the department, a total of 113 top structures will be completed between July and December 2025, supported by an additional R149 million allocations to prepare 692 serviced sites for further housing development.

A further R261 million has been ring-fenced from the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) in the 2026/27 financial year for the construction of more top structures, while R25 million from capital balances will be used to complete 108 houses by October 2025.

“The 692 houses are scheduled for completion by December 2026, with beneficiaries expected to move in from December 2026 to January 2027. Working in partnership with affected municipalities, the provincial government will also embark on intensive social facilitation programmes to engage communities that resist the resettlement of flood victims or other developments in their areas.

“All Temporary Emergency Accommodations (TEAs) are planned to close by January 2027, as 837 houses will be completed by December 2026 and 375 flood victims temporarily accommodated at Montclair Lodge and Cornubia TRUs, while their permanent homes, targeted for completion by June 2027, are being built,” Ntuli said.

In addition, the Premier said seven parcels of rezoned land under the eThekwini Metro will be utilised for normal housing projects to address the municipality’s broader housing backlog.

Warning against unlawful resale of government houses
Meanwhile, Ntuli has issued a stern warning against the unlawful resale of government houses or unlawful accommodation of non-beneficiaries.

“Such actions will not be tolerated, and the Department of Human Settlements, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will take strict legal action against offenders to protect the integrity of the resettlement programme and ensure that the rightful beneficiaries are accommodated,” Ntuli said.

KwaZulu-Natal was hit by catastrophic floods in April 2022, which claimed more than 400 lives, destroyed infrastructure, and left thousands homeless. The 2025 floods compounded the crisis, displacing even more families, many of whom remain in temporary accommodation.

The Premier has expressed gratitude to all government officials, municipal teams, engineers, and construction workers for their role in fast-tracking recovery efforts.

He also commended the communities that have embraced the relocation of flood victims and allowed these critical developments to proceed in their areas.

“Their cooperation has made it possible for the province to move forward with urgency and unity in restoring dignity to those who have lost so much. This housing and resettlement programme marks one of the most ambitious post-disaster recovery initiatives in KwaZulu-Natal’s history, reaffirming government’s commitment to rebuilding communities, restoring dignity, and ensuring no flood victim is left behind,” Ntuli said.

Ramaphosa attends 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit

Posted on August 21, 2025August 21, 2025 by

President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Japan leading South Africa’s high-level delegation at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit (TICAD9) in Yokohama City.

President Ramaphosa, who arrived in Japan on Tuesday, will participate in the TICAD9 Summit from 20 - 22 August 2025 under the theme “Co-creating Innovative Solutions with Africa”.

The summit is underpinned by three Plenary Sessions, which illustrate established areas of cooperation between the African Union and Japan, namely: Society: Realizing a Sustainable Future; Economy:

Promoting Trade and Investment; and Peace and stability: Ensuring Human Dignity and Human Security.
In a statement, the Presidency said the 9th TICAD Summit takes place at a time of unprecedented threats to global peace and security, ongoing conflicts in some regions of the world, distortions and disruption to global trade and a concerning revision by some states to unilateral action at a time when multilateralism and collective solutions to common challenges is crucial.

The Presidency highlighted that rising fuel, food and energy prices have severely impacted developing countries, entrenching poverty and fuelling higher levels of inequality in the face of constrained employment and job opportunities.

“The debt and liquidity crisis on the African continent is worsening the challenging socio-economic environment and constraining the fiscal space for governments to cast a safety net over its citizens.
“The AU discussions with the government of Japan under the auspices of TICAD presents an opportunity for the two sides to engage in discussions that seek to foster collective solutions to these challenges,” the Presidency said.

South Africa, as a Member State of the AU, will prioritise support from the government of Japan for the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP) of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, especially in the priority areas of infrastructure development, peace and security, and health.

“President Ramaphosa will advance South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 and pursue bilateral economic engagements with the government of Japan with a view to strengthening trade and investment ties between South Africa and Japan,” the Presidency said.

The year 2025 marks 115 years of relations between South Africa and Japan.

The two countries enjoy well-established bilateral relations within the framework of the Partnership Forum held at a ministerial level and maintain strong cooperation in the fields of trade and investment; science and technology; education; skills transfer and capacity building through development cooperation.

Bilateral trade between Japan and South Africa had been expanding since the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1992.

Japan is one of the major investors (over R90 billion) in the South African economy, with 260 Japanese companies, sustaining over 150 000 local jobs.

Japan is the 4th largest economy in the world, and total bilateral trade between the two countries in 2024 was R132 billion, with South Africa recording a trade surplus of R52 billion.

“President Ramaphosa will engage with leading captains of Japanese industry and business.

“Japan is one of South Africa's major economic partners with sizeable investments in the South African economy, and the potential for further investments exists. A South African high level business delegation is also participating at the TICAD9,” the Presidency said.

Also, at the margins of TICAD9 in his capacity as the chair of the Global Leader’s Network for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, President Ramaphosa will deliver a keynote address to parliamentarians, business and developmental agencies on the importance of increasing investments into women’s, children’s and adolescents health as an imperative for peace and security.

President Ramaphosa is accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Dr Bonginkosi Nzimande, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, and senior government officials.