Thank you for your feedback @bigtom13, it did cost a lot at the time but fortunately we worked with sub-contracters so hubby had a big hand in it which cut the costs but one cannot take chances here in KwaZulu Natal with retaining walls as we do have heavy rains every summer. It came late this year though so caught many unawares!
Someone saw the police at a stream near us earlier this evening and a lady was there crying, we heard later that they found a missing man in it, so sad! The stream is like a raging river now, can hear it on our verandah and it's way down in the valley!