'This is not a political agenda': IFP's Thami Ntuli promises to stay the course in Tongaat

In the wake of a devastating tornado in Tongaat which has seen political parties flocking to the area taking the spotlight, KwaZulu-Natal IFP chairperson Thami Ntuli has promised to stay in the area until residents' lives return to normal.

Parts of the province were hit by a tornado on Monday, resulting in the loss of lives, homes and infrastructure.

Ntuli, who was among the politicians who visited the area, said the party was prepared to stay in Tongaat and support residents until the situation was resolved.

“This is not a political agenda. We came here to help the people of Tongaat to reconstruct their lives. We are going to stay here until the situation is back to normal. We have erected a marquee to help people with shelter. We will also bring blankets and food until everything is back to normal,” he said.

“Here we are not talking politics but we are helping people.”

Other political parties and organisations have also stepped in to assist affected areas.

Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube visited earlier this week, saying the government would beef up resources to help affected residents.

“We are working on providing temporary shelters where people can safely put their belongings,” she said.

“We have 30 teams, but they're not enough to cover the people that are affected. The MEC has organised to bring more teams to assess the damage and provide accommodation and relief to the residents.”

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