One year later: Margate's local businesses struggle to recover after April 2024 floods

IOL News

2 days ago

File image of damages caused by the April 2024 flash flood in Margate on the KZN South Coast.
Image: Johan Steyn
More than a year after a devastating flash flood lashed Margate, the "gem" of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, many local businesses still face an uphill battle in their recovery.
The floods of April 2024, which claimed five lives and devastated numerous homes and businesses, have left scars that are still evident throughout the town.
Gary Wridgway, who owned a mini golf business called The Duck and Putt in Margate, said his business was a success before the floods destroyed everything.
'When the floods came I lost everything in my business, my ducks and geese that I had as an attraction were scattered all across the Margate area. Fortunately, they were all recovered. The concrete slabs for the mini golf were all ripped up and broken,' he said.
Following the incident, Wridgway recalled that there were roughly 10 vehicles from neighbouring properties dispersed on the property. He also noted that his tuckshop was submerged in almost two metres of water, resulting in a half-metre of mud and extensive damage afterwards.
'I unfortunately was unable to recover or restore anything. I had just finished renovating and had spent all my money,' said Wridgway.
According to Wridgway, there was talk of a government relief fund that was quoted at R400,000 to rebuild his business alone.
'It never came through. My landlord expected me to restore the ground and be up and running within 3 months before continuing to pay rent; therefore, I had to leave,' he lamented.
Based on his observations, Wridgway said there evidence still remains of the flood throughout Margate.
'The effort to clean up has been slow at best; the only work being done is by the community to my knowledge,' he said, adding that The Duck and Putt still looks like a disaster site.
'I am still trying to recover from my financial loss brought on by the floods; it has been one of the toughest years of my life,' he said.
File image of a damaged vehicle following the April 2024 flash flood in Margate on the KZN South Coast.
Image: Johan Steyn
Ivor Shead, owner of One-Stop Mobile Mechanic, said he has been forced to try and run his car repair business from his home since the flood. Shead's workshop, which he was renting, was completely destroyed, including nine vehicles and a trailer that were washed away.
'It's a struggle, things aren't what they once were, and we're simply doing the best we can,' he said.
He further explained that no repairs have been undertaken on the rental property since the flood, and due to what he had lost, he was not willing to stay there.
'With the clients' cars, tools and other things, we lost just over R2 million,' he said.
In terms of being able to pay bills from month to month since the flood, Shead said he is in arrears for about R40,000.
According to Shead, they were asked to fill in forms for relief, but he has not received any feedback yet.
'Even the government, when they sent the council down to see what we lost, they've never come back to us either,' he said.
File image of damages caused by the April 2024 flash flood outside Wimpy in Margate on the KZN South Coast.
Image: Johan Steyn
Shead believes not enough has been done to restore Margate to what it was before the flood. 'That whole area is still a mess. Even the area where Wimpy was, the council is only starting to repair that now. Margate will never be the same.'
He added that all the people he knows who were affected by the flood are struggling. 'We tried to get back up on our feet, but it's really hard. I was with one guy now; he was doing woodwork. He is also struggling.'
Reggie Lantz, whose panel-beating workshop, including 16 vehicles he was working on, in Margate was washed away during the flood said he is struggling to get back up on his feet.
'The workshop washed away, and I lost everything: my vehicle, my tools, everything,' he said.
Repairs to paving outside the Wimpy on the beachfront in Margate last month. A flash flood in April last year damaged infrastructure, businesses and houses.
Image: Alan Bosch
Lantz said the infrastructure that was damaged during the flood has not been fixed, and he is now using a different workshop on the same property.
'Business is very quiet; I'm in arrears with everything because of the flood. I'm behind with my rent here; I'm behind with rent at my house. It's tough, and we are just trying to make ends meet,' he said.
With regard to relief from the government, Lantz said, 'nobody helped us with anything. Nobody came and assisted us; they all came here with their cameras and everybody, and that was it".
Alan Bosch, Margate councillor, recalled how Margate was devastated by the flood a year ago and that the beach areas were particularly affected.
'The damage to the infrastructure was immense, and although there has been some progress, there is still a lot to be done to restore the paving, railings, toilets and building damage to an acceptable standard,' he said.
Bosch highlighted that Margate is a prime holiday destination for the south coast area and that the effect on businesses and tourism has been devastating.
'While funding from the central government has been sparse, we still need the local government to act,' he said.
Margate councillor Alan Bosch has started a petition to fix Margate Beach in an effort to speed up the process to address some issues, including decay of buildings, walkways and toilet facilities among others.
Image: Alan Bosch
On a positive note, Bosch said the Olympic swimming pool is once again open and operating and 'looks magnificent.'
'There is also a team on the ground busy with the restoration of the paving on the main beachfront,' he said.
He noted that there is also a strong law enforcement presence in the Margate beach area. Bosch stated that the most positive thing for Margate is the activities undertaken by the Tidy Towns team, who manage under difficult conditions to keep the beach area clean and safe for residents and holidaymakers alike.
'What is required, however, is to rectify the decay of buildings, walkways and facilities, particularly toilet facilities,' he said. With that in mind, Bosch launched a petition under the Democratic Alliance banner to encourage the authorities to prioritise the restoration of the beach facilities.
Margate councillor Alan Bosch has started a petition to fix Margate Beach in an effort to speed up the process to address some issues at the beach including decay of buildings, walkways and toilet facilities among others.
Image: Alan Bosch
The ongoing campaign called Petition to fix Margate Beach has garnered support from more than 2,600 residents to date.
'I am getting some co-operation in addressing some issues, but the process needs to be sped up,' said Bosch.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department: Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea), Ugu District Municipality and Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality did not respond to several requests for comment.
Former KZN Edtea MEC Siboniso Duma, who visited the area following the flood with local government leadership, said it is unfortunate that the gains the province has made in its quest to ensure economic recovery and the growth of tourism are threatened by recurring storms and floods.
Duma said climate change is the biggest threat to human development. 'Climate change is affecting almost every sector of the economy in this province. Therefore, it is important that stakeholders work together to tackle both adaptation and mitigation.'
In response to questions about what progress has been made to restore Margate to what the town was before the flood, South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise (SCTIE) referred the queries to Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality.