While you were asleep: KZN flooding death toll rises into the hundreds

Last night the death toll from flooding in KwaZulu-Natal rose to 306 people with the South African Weather Service issuing a warning that potential heavy rainfall could be expected in the province over the weekend.

The situation has become so dire on the ground that there are limited mortuary vans and ambulances available while road closures have also made it difficult for emergency services to reach those in need. Police have been left with the task of transporting bodies to mortuaries themselves because of the shortage.

Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka said: “The loss of human life as a result of the inclement weather conditions is one of the darkest moments in the history of our province.

“Hundreds of people have been left homeless with many roads, public infrastructure, and homes severely damaged.”

The area was placed under a provincial state of disaster yesterday while President Cyril Ramaphosa also visited the province, calling the flooding “a catastrophe of enormous proportions.”

The president travelled from one impacted area to the next and was visibly affected by the devastation that he encountered as he spoke to distraught locals.

Damage from the flooding is expected to run into the millions with years of failure to improve infrastructure and perform adequate maintenance now coming home to roost. Blocked stormwater systems and high levels of plastic pollution that further blocked drainage channels are likely to be a key point of analysis of the flooding disaster.

Daily Maverick reports, shops, warehouses, and malls that had just recently fully recovered from the violence and looting that gripped the province in July 2021, were flooded while transport routes into the city and the port of Durban have also been severely affected.

“…houses in townships, informal settlements and suburban homes were damaged, severely damaged or destroyed by landslides.”

In the markets, the rand finally succumbed to a strong dollar late yesterday afternoon after failing to break below the R14.45/$ level. “A retreat by the Dollar overnight on the back of lower US bond yields has seen the Rand open firmer once again this morning, with the local currency currently trading at R14.53. Local retail sales data for March disappointed yesterday, falling by 0.9% versus an expected 1.1% rise,” comments TreasuryONE.

On the commodity front, gold is slightly lower this morning at $1,973, platinum is flat at $986, and palladium is up at $2,372.

“Gold continues to trade on the front foot on the back of the Ukraine conflict and global inflation concerns. Yesterday the UK reported a 30-year high jump in inflation of 7.0% for the month of March, while US PPI came out above estimates,” comments TreasuryONE.

The easing of demand concerns out of China along with constrained supply has pushed the price of Brent back up to $108.50 while WTI is trading up at $103.70.