The families of two people swept away by last month’s raging floodwaters in uMshwathi have received painful relief following the discovery of their bodies. Lungile Bhonswayo, from the Eastern Cape, and Zanele Ndlela, from Ndwedwe, were washed away by the floods that tore through New Hanover on November 23, leaving a trail of destruction. Official findings show that the devastation affected 108 households and 465 people, many of them from Lesotho.
A total of 117 houses were affected — 50 partially damaged and 67 completely destroyed — leaving 79 people homeless. Days of desperate searching by residents and search-and-rescue teams ended this week when both bodies were found along the Injasuthi River. Bhonswayo’s sister and colleague, Zoliswa Nkunzi, said the discovery of his body on Wednesday morning brought painful relief.
“We are grateful that his body has been found. Lungile was humble, hardworking and full of jokes. He knew what he came to work to do, and he did it well,” she said.
Read Full Article on The Witness
[paywall]
For the Ndlela family, the recovery of Zanele Ndlela’s body ended days of anguish. “As much as it is painful that she is gone, we are relieved that we can now lay her to rest,” said her brother, Ntokozo Ndlela. The past few days have been incredibly difficult.
Zanele was down to earth; she loved her own space, and she was the hope of our family. “Her future was bright; she was about to complete her agricultural studies. We are devastated,” he added.Sydney Govender, commander of the uMgungundlovu District Fire Department, said geologists were brought in on Monday to assist search teams.
“The first body, found by a community member on Wednesday, was about 500 metres from her home. The second, Lungile, was about 400 metres away and was still in the water,” he said.
[/paywall]
