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HEAVY RAINS AND flooding have killed at least 306 people in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, and more rainstorms are forecast in the coming days.
The death toll is expected to rise as scores of people, including whole families, are missing, officials said.
The persistent rains have wreaked havoc in the province, destroying homes, collapsing buildings and washing away major roads.
The damage to Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area is estimated at $52 million (€48 million), eThekwini mayor Mxolosi Kaunda said.
At least 120 schools have been flooded, causing damage estimated at more than $26 million (€24 million) and forcing officials to temporarily close all schools in the province.
At least 18 students and one teacher from various schools have died in the floods, education minister Angie Motshekga said.
“This is a catastrophe and the damage is unprecedented. What is even more worrying is that more rain is expected in the same areas that are already affected,” Motshekga said in a statement.
Police used stun grenades to disperse residents in the Reservoir Hills areas of Durban who were protesting over what they said was the lack of official assistance, according to South African media reports.
The South African National Defence Force has deployed troops to assist with rescue and mop-up operations.
The floods have knocked out water and electricity to large parts of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area and it will take at least a week to restore those services, according to officials.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is convening an emergency cabinet meeting to declare the floods a national disaster so that funds can be released to help repair the damage.
He visited several areas hit by the floods and mudslides on Wednesday.
Fourteen crocodiles that were swept away from a farm in the Tongaat area north of Durban have been recaptured, according to wildlife officials.
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That’s crazy. Given how hard the good folk of Connemara and Kerry have worked to curtail invasive plants, you’d think that their sale would be controlled somehow.
Garden center owners should know better.
@Pól Pot: Actually, not a funeral. He’ll be definitely up to go to that. Say you’re catching a meeting in the rooms. No way Mel will follow ye there.
@Pól Pot: dafuq U on about tool?
A list with photos would help please.
@Acumen: You can search for plants and animals here and, for the most part, if they are invasive they are marked as such under ‘Designations’: https://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/Species
Ahh these garden centre owners! When they’re not importing crystal meth, they’re importing invasive plants!
@Pól Pot: Looks like someone’s been to their local garden centre again. And you weren’t buying plants!
If you’re planning on growing mint, plant it in a pot..it’ll run all over the place otherwise.
I contacted the Clonmel Co Co 2 years ago about a very large invasion of Hogweed growing beside the river Suir. Nothing was done. I also contacted a councilor from Cahir about same. He arranged a ingenieur straight away. After that nothing was done.
If they are not interested why should I.
@hans vos: No wonder nothing was done, there’s no such organisation as Clonmel Co Co.
@Rob Goodbody: really?
@hans vos: government doesn’t care about invasive plants cant get them to deal with problems like cost living . Hogwort cant be cut comes back 100 times worst.
@Rob Goodbody: Tipperary Co Co based in Clonmel.
Difficult to understand if you have no comprehension skills I presume.
Li@l was selling Rhododendron
Quite big business in eradicating invasive plants now. It is difficult though. Japanese knotweed is seriously difficult to treat with just herbicide so you’ve got to hollow out the soil it grows on to a depth of 2 cubic meters to be sure. That’s alot of earth moving, plus that soil is now contaminated, so where can you place it?
You should have a look at the amount of invasive plants that are included in the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. As a landscape architect, when I complete a landscape plan, I reference the All Ireland Pollinator Plan in my reports, but cross reference this with the National Biodiversity Data Centre Invasive Species. Buddleja being the most glaring example.
I certainly do. Mel Gibson and I have been up all night in a heightened state of artistic hysteria pounding out a script on the typewriter. As of this moment, we’ve no replies from all the big studios whom we emailed our synopsis. Their loss. Mel says he has just about enough quids to make it independently (though I suspect he’s either lying or delusional). In fairness were both in a proper state, so I’m not gonna pull him up on it. I’m not getting into a ruck with Mel. Lovely dude but capable of turning 100 per cent violent, and I’m in no condition.
At any rate, Jim Caviezel said he’ll probably take the lead. He has royalties from that recent mad film he did. We’ll get some startup money out of him with an incomprehensible contract promising points from the profits and VHS rentals. He’s fairly naive. Jim will play a fern the entire movie dialogue will be in plant languages that is, volatile organic compounds, electrical signalling, and common mycorrhizal networks. See ye all at the Oscars.
@Pól Pot: and the action sequences to be shot in plant-growth motion time?
I’m there! This will be a game changer!
@Pól Pot: What’s it gonna be called ” Lethal hedging 3 “
@Sea Spirit: featuring Meryl Streep as japanese knot weed.
@Sea Spirit: Totally underestimated Jim. The chap wants nothing to do with us. Just blocked us on WhatsApp. Last message read, “Jesus and I love you unconditionally, but we’re not going to be enablers to this behaviour.” I’m coming down fast and having reread the script, it’s s not as profound as it appeared only an hour ago. Strange as now it’s incomprehensible. There’s no third act and the fern’s trajectory ends up exactly as it was on page 1. Mel has begun forging “original lyrics sheets” of classic hit and putting them on Ebay 4 funding. Totally sneaking out of here now. That’s serious crime. Love you, Mel, but you’re a every few years minimum kind of mate. Complete chaos. We’ll lose everything again and have to start from scratch. Too old 2 be begging associates for a night on sofas.
@Sea Spirit: Mel wants “The Resurrection of the Burning Bush.” I don’t get it. I lose track when he goes off on rants. I don’t care now either. My main concern is get him to unlock the door so i can try get a hostel. Mel is being quite aggressive and screaming about things missing off the coffee table. He’s mad. We ran out hours ago.
No surprise, easiest and cheapest is always the most popular here.
Oh no… how will I sleep tonight??
I find the most useful of the invasive plant species are triffids. Got annoying neighbours? Just sneakily throw a few seeds into their back yard.
Yes, i did, just bought some Japanese know weed to plant in Northern Ireland.
have your say