Maybe we should pause and reset

by Nosipho Hlatshwayo

20 June 2025

 

📸 by Associated Press Photo/Hoseya Jubase

The disasters in the Eastern Cape that have claimed more than 70 lives are a déjà vu of other disasters we have seen in our cities and towns. In recent years, the city of eThekwini has experienced its fair share of intense disasters, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives.

 

These disasters should serve as a reminder of the need to invest in adequate critical infrastructure in our towns, settlements, and neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, while every meal official and politician speaks eloquently about disaster adaptation and mitigation, Most of our settlements fail the test when disaster strikes. The tendency to invest in new settlements while ignoring existing ones, particularly in retrofitting infrastructure, upgrading infrastructure, and maintenance, has exacerbated the impact of disasters.

 

The issue of unproclaimed townships or built-up areas that are not meeting the engineering standards, which by law cannot be proclaimed as townships has been discussed only to the extent of security of tenure that’s ignoring the impact of leaving our townships and settlements with incomplete and below par service standards that compromises them in the events of emergencies and disasters.

 

Unfortunately, most residents of these unclaimed townships cannot afford private insurance that protects their largest asset in the event of a disaster. Even if they could, I doubt that the insurance industry would be willing to insure properties built in areas with stormwater, electrification, and water standards that have not been signed off by an engineer, as this would be considered risky and financially imprudent for the insurance industry to cover these areas. The risk is just too high for any sensible business to venture into these areas.

 

So, what is the solution? While one acknowledges that there is a need to provide more and more people with access to basic services through the provision of infrastructure, there is also a greater need to retrofit some of our existing townships and settlements to meet the engineering codes, so that in case of disaster, damage to property and loss of life is minimised.

 

Over and above this, there’s a need to ensure that regular repairs and maintenance of infrastructure in our settlements are done. While public officials bemoan the reduced expenditure and allocation towards creating new infrastructure in our cities and towns, there is even greater concern about how little is directed towards repairing and maintaining existing infrastructure. Simple activities, such as cleaning stormwater drainage systems, go a long way in minimising the impact of disasters.

 

While this is not accounted for in the glorified “capital expenditure” which has been a “hallmark” of a developmental municipality, we have neglected to take care of what already exists within the assets register of the municipality.

 

I therefore argue that perhaps it’s time we took a pause and reset. Not to stop overall new infrastructure investment, but by taking stock of what already exists, identifying what needs to be fixed within the existing asset base in all our cities and towns. Otherwise, our developmental agenda will be further delayed by the destruction caused by the more frequent and intense disasters that we are witnessing.

 

Coupled with this is a need for community awareness on the role that they play in minimising the impacts of disasters. Simple messaging that seeks to create a link between irresponsible and illegal disposal of waste in the stormwater systems needs to be emphasised. This, however, should be coupled with the provision of infrastructure that supports responsible disposal of waste and a predictable service in both formal and informal settlements.

 

Yes, we need to expand our infrastructure to support growth and sustainable human settlements. But what good is it if we neglect existing settlements, and we are creating death zones when disasters happen? Perhaps there is a need to redefine the “hallmark” of a developmental municipality in terms of infrastructure investment.

 

A strong emphasis on repairs, maintenance, and upgrading of existing infrastructure may be what is urgently needed, especially now that disasters are becoming more frequent, intense, and deadly.