Maheshvari Naidu – The Conversation

A local volunteer hands bread to foreign nationals returning from a temporary refugee camp in Chatsworth, 2015. Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images

August 5, 2026

Burundi refugees talk about life in South Africa after their long journey: hope and heartbreak side by side

Tackson Makandwa, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Maheshvari Naidu, University of KwaZulu-Natal

There’s more to being a refugee than crossing a border.

A general view of the damage in an informal settlement heavy rains, mudslides and winds in Durban, on April 13, 2022. Rajesh Jantilal/AFP via Getty Images)

April 14, 2022

Floods in South Africa: protecting people must include a focus on women and girls

Fidelis Udo, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Maheshvari Naidu, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Women and girls living in poverty face many forms of discrimination and pressure during events like flood disasters.

A man is seen searching through debris at the Blue Lagoon beach following heavy rains and winds in Durban, on April 12, 2022. Rajesh Jantilal/AFP via Getty Images

April 14, 2022

Local knowledge adds value to mapping flood risk in South Africa’s informal settlements

Garikai Martin Membele, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Maheshvari Naidu, University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Onisimo Mutanga, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Flooding is arguably even more problematic in informal settlements because of the lack of planning.

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