Four years on, Durban flood victims remain in deteriorating Astra Building - IOL

Elderly flood victim,Ruth Mthethwa, climbing the steps from ground floor to 14th floor due to unworking elevator at Astra Building.

Four years after the April 2022 floods, 285 displaced residents living at Durban’s Astra Building say a broken lift, water outages, refuse and leaking roofs have left them in unsafe and undignified conditions.

They said the accommodation was unfit for human habitation.

The 285 victims have been living at Astra Building on Joseph Nduli Street (formerly Russell Street) since December 2022. 

The victims came from nine community halls around eThekwini after their houses were swept and damaged by the April 2022 floods. 

The areas include: Umlazi, Mountview, Verulam, Yellowwood Park, Ntuzuma, Chesterville, Mega Village and Mpola.

The victims highlighted several daily challenges they faced, including a non-functional elevator, frequent water outages and uncollected refuse in the building.

Ruth Mthethwa, 66, from Mpola, who just arrived after grocery shopping, said jail was better than the living conditions in the building. 

She had to climb the steps from the ground floor to the 14th floor of the building with a walking stick, 10kg of maize meal on her head, while carrying a plastic bag full of groceries in her right hand. 

"I am saying this because in jail, prisoners receive everything, including water and meals. Here, we have to buy our own things including food. We have been suffering in this building since we came in. It has been three months without an elevator and life is unbearable without it," she said. 

Mthethwa said her life was harder since she had no children helping her. 

"I climb these steps four to five times a day. I have to use the steps when I am going to wash my clothes, go shopping, and to collect the clothes from the line. It is hard for me because I am old and cannot work properly since I had an injury on my ankle," she said.

She said she collects water with buckets from the nearest building during water outages. 

"This makes me furious, but I have no choice but to collect water since nobody is willing to assist. I call on the government to fast-track the process of moving us to proper homes because this is not life for me and other flood victims living here," said Mthethwa. 

Flood victim and activist Sibongile Mkhize showing her uncollected refuse at Astra Building which accommodates flood victims.

Sibongile Mkhize, a flood victim and activist for flood victims from Umlazi, said life was difficult without a working elevator in the building. 

"We have vulnerable citizens such as elderly, disabled and children living in this building. The elevator has not been working since September 2026, and life has been difficult for all of us. We complained about the elevator issue to the building management, but nobody was willing to assist," she said.

Mkhize survived by selling food on the streets of the Durban CBD.

She said building management told her she was not allowed to cook the food she sells in the building. 

"Nobody is providing us with anything here. I was shocked to hear that we have been banned from cooking the food we sell. The building management said nobody is allowed to do business and cook food for sale from the building."

"I am taking care of my family of four by selling food on the streets. I do not know what to do since the church I was using to cook the food told me that I am no longer welcome to cook there," said the single mother. 

She said she does not know what to do about transport fare for her child since the government stopped providing free transport for pupils in June this year. 

Mkhize said it was difficult for her to walk on the steps carrying the food she sells every day. 

"I have had an operation on my head and that makes it hard to carry heavy goods on my head, especially from 15th floor to ground floor. We have been living under these terrible conditions for years, and we believe and hope that one day things will change," she said. 

Mkhize said 13 flood victims had died from various causes in the building, but they received no assistance from the government. 

"We had to make donations and communicate with the deceased's relatives to ensure they receive a dignified funeral. This is traumatising because we have to deal with such things without help from people who put us in here," said Mkhize. 

She reiterated that their living conditions were worse than those in jail cells. 

"It is better in jail because prisoners are allowed to have visitors. In this building, we are not allowed to have visitors, even family members."

She said the lack of an elevator forced the person collecting the refuse to abandon his work.

"That person had been collecting and carrying refuse from high floors to ground floor. He said he was tired of doing this  without an elevator and decided to quit the job. We currently live with uncollected refuse, which brings rats and cockroaches into the building."

Astra Building accommodating 2022 flood victims on Joseph Nduli Streeet, in Durban CBD.

Nomvula Dlamini, 58, from Mega Village, said climbing the steps badly affects her since she has dyspnea. 

"I do not climb the steps without stopping on all the floors due to the shortness of breath I get from the dyspnea. This is difficult for me and my children who have to use the steps every mornings and afternoons. We complained about the elevator, but the building management does not care," she said.

Dlamini's wish was to find a proper house and live a happy life with her family of five members. 

Another victim from Verulam, Iqiniso Khomo, claimed that the government dumped them at the building. 

"No official nor politician comes to check and assist us with our needs here. We are on our own since we do not receive help from the government. 

“Nobody is telling us when we are moving to decent homes. We were told from the first time we came here that nobody will help us and we must help ourselves," she said 

She said the building’s roof leaks. 

"Water leaks from the roof are wetting our clothes, beds, and furniture. This has also caused bedbugs in almost all the rooms in the building," said Khomo.