By Moses Magadza in Durban, South Africa

For families once uprooted by devastating floods, the newly built flats in Cornubia, Durban, South Africa represent more than shelter. They offer safety, dignity, legal ownership, and the chance to rebuild lives shattered by disaster.

Residents shared that message with Swedish Ambassador to South Africa Her Excellency Anna-Karin Eneström when she and her delegation visited the Cornubia Housing Project last week in Durban for the “Sweden on the Road” programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

The visit enabled the Ambassador to see how the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, through its Human Settlements Department, is resettling flood-affected families and developing a community with access to essential social amenities.

Municipal officials explained that the development was being implemented in phases, with housing supported by plans for schools, healthcare facilities and other services. A mobile clinic is serving the community while a permanent facility is being finalised.

The Ambassador said her delegation had travelled from Pretoria to understand how the community had developed in the aftermath of the floods and, more importantly, to hear directly from the people now living there.

“I am much more interested in listening to you than I am in talking to you,” she told residents and added, “I’m very interested in your views on how this has improved, what is good and what could be done better.”

Ambassador Eneström noted that, although Sweden and KwaZulu-Natal are separated by thousands of kilometres, both are experiencing the effects of a changing climate.

“You have floods here; we have floods there,” she said, highlighting the universal nature of climate-related risks and the importance of learning from communities confronting their consequences.

Residents responded with moving accounts of what relocation had meant for them and their families. Their testimonies reflected deep gratitude to the municipality for replacing precarious living conditions with permanent homes.

One beneficiary, Mr Sthembiso Ntuli, described the development as “beautiful” and full of possibilities.

“Life has never been easy. We relocated to Cornubia, which is a beautiful area. It is attractive, and there are a lot of growth opportunities,” he said.

Mr Ntuli said the development’s proximity to Cornubia Mall and nearby industrial areas presented residents with potential employment and economic opportunities. The location had also brought him closer to places he once regarded as beyond his reach.

“Where I stay in my flat, I can see Cornubia, and I can see Umhlanga. It has been my dream. We are grateful for that,” he said.

For Mr Ntuli, one of the most significant aspects of the project was that beneficiaries in the first phase had received title deeds. This gave families not only a roof over their heads, but also a legally recognised asset and a stronger sense of permanence.

“In (some places) people have lived for years and still do not have title deeds. But this project has title deeds,” he said.

Ward 102 committee member Mr Patrick Pembella similarly thanked the municipality and its Human Settlements Department for responding to the needs of displaced families.

“We really appreciate the initiative that is being undertaken by the municipality, especially Human Settlements,” he said.

According to Mr Pembella, approximately 118 completed homes had already been occupied. He said the families who had moved into them were happy and grateful, although they remained concerned about other flood survivors still awaiting relocation from temporary accommodation and community halls.

“They are happy that they are here, but they still feel bad that there are people who have been left behind,” he explained.

Mr Pembella applauded the municipality’s efforts to accelerate construction of the remaining houses and appealed for greater support from the relevant government and treasury authorities so that all eligible families could be resettled as soon as possible.

While residents warmly welcomed their new homes, they used the interaction to identify services required to turn the housing development into a complete, safe and thriving community.

Their priorities included additional primary and secondary schools, a permanent clinic, an early-childhood development centre, a community hall, recreational facilities, street lighting, improved policing and greater access to employment.

Mr Ntuli said children needed safe spaces in which to play and develop.

“As you can see, the children are playing, but there has to be a place where children can feel like children,” he said.

He also called for a community centre where residents could access the internet and other developmental services. With the population growing, he warned that the existing primary school would not be sufficient and stressed the need for a high school.

Residents also drew attention to the nearby Blackburn informal settlement, where households reportedly continue to face inadequate sanitation, illegal electricity connections and poor infrastructure. Some inhabitants of the settlement had also been affected by floods.

“If I had enough money, I would remove all these shacks and build houses for everyone who needs them, to give them dignity,” Mr Ntuli said.

Mr Pembella urged planners to promote social cohesion by integrating people from different backgrounds rather than allowing spatial divisions to emerge between the new development and surrounding communities.

“We don’t want to create islands where people feel that this is my space and no one else can come in,” he said.

Employment remained another pressing concern. Some beneficiaries had reportedly lost or relinquished jobs after being relocated far from their former workplaces.

Although nearby construction and industrial activity offered opportunities, women were not benefiting at the same rate as men.

Crime and personal security also featured prominently. Residents said sections of the development were dark and isolated, making people walking to and from nearby shops vulnerable to robbery.

Responding to the concerns, Ambassador Eneström welcomed the municipality’s plans for schools and healthcare services but said the safety of women and children required urgent attention.

“I am concerned, of course, about the insecurity for women, and I hope that is something that you will take care of,” she said.

“I hope that there will be streetlights and that there can be more security in the area, because when there is a lack of security, it is usually women who become the victims,” she added.

Seeing the many children gathered around the delegation, she also expressed hope that playgrounds and other child-friendly facilities would form part of the growing settlement.

The Ambassador thanked residents for speaking openly about both the life-changing benefits of the housing project and the gaps that remained.

“I am very grateful. Thank you so much for coming out and talking to me and to my colleagues,” she said. “I hope that the next time I come, there will be a school and a health clinic, and that you will also be secure.”

SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma also participated in the visit. In an interview, she said the visit brought the human dimensions of climate change into sharp focus.

“Floods do not end when the rain stops, or the water recedes. Their consequences continue through displacement, disrupted livelihoods, interrupted schooling and heightened risks to health and personal safety,” she said.

The SG said the development also demonstrated what responsive local government can achieve.

“By moving affected families into permanent homes, providing title deeds and planning complementary services, the eThekwini municipality has given survivors a platform from which to begin again,” Ms Sekgoma said.

Another resident said that although houses have restored dignity, sustained investment in schools, clinics, lighting, security, recreation and livelihoods will be necessary to transform a promising housing development into a resilient community in which every family can flourish.

-Moses Magadza, PhD, is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.