Durban - On the night of April 11, 2022, the Gumbi family were asleep when a mass of mud, water and huge rocks came crashing on to their Ngcolosi home west of Durban.
Three young cousins, Lubanzi Gumbi, 8, Slindokuhle Gumbi, 13, and Asanda Cele, 13, were swept away. Their bodies have not been recovered.
The family moved to uMlazi days after their home was devastated.
Speaking to The Mercury ahead of the one-year anniversary of the April floods, grandmother Nokuthula Gumbi said everything happened so fast that night.
She said there was a large pipe behind their home that overflowed with water, destroying the back of the house.
She said all three children were sleeping on the floor when the water came rushing in and she attempted to save Lubanzi, who was near her, but she could not hold on to her.
The distraught grandmother said she still had flashbacks of what happened, adding that they had done all they could to search for children.
“It still hurts to this day. I lost three grandchildren, and no pain equates to that. I couldn’t sleep for months after the event because I kept thinking about them,” she said.
The mother of Lubanzi Gumbi, Philile Gumbi, said she constantly thinks about her daughter and her cousins.
Philile added that she sometimes thinks they will just turn up or they will get a call from the police saying they’ve been found.
“Seeing other kids playing in the street just brings back the memory of Lubanzi because I just imagine her playing with them. Even though it has been a year since we lost her, she is never far from my thoughts,” Philile said.
She added that it would have been better if they had found some remains so they could bury them.
“Life has not been the same since that incident, it has been very difficult for us as a family. We searched all over Ngcolosi, a search-and-rescue (team) helped, but with no success.
“I also wish the police had responded immediately so maybe we could have found something,” she said.
Senzelwe Mzila, spokesperson for the provincial Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, said the government had assisted families whose loved ones were lost in the April floods.
He said disaster teams, together with other stakeholders did all that was possible to find missing people. He added that it was unfortunate that after a year some people had not been found.
“A lot of co-ordinated support from the government and other stakeholders was given to people who lost their loved ones,” said Mzila.
Provincial Department of Social Development spokesperson Mhlaba Memela said the department had been in contact with the flood victims, supporting them in dealing with trauma.
“We have been supporting families who were affected by floods last year and we are appealing to the people who were affected to come forward. It has been a difficult time for families who lost their loved ones and it will take a long time for families to recover. It is a very painful situation, but we are still saying that those who need help must not hesitate to contact us,” Memela said.
Among other children who remain missing are:
- Asemahle Anele Mazeka, 15, swept away when her home in Amaoti, north of Durban, was flooded.
- Sandisa Myeni, 8, also swept away in Amaoti.
