Residents in Limpopo’s Mokgoloboto, near Tzaneen, are counting the costs after heavy rain damaged their homes.
The roofs of some houses have been blown off, while walls fell at others. There are no reported injuries and fatalities.
Mopping-up operations are under way. Residents say heavy rain started on Saturday afternoon.
The roof of Rasia Mpholwane’s nine-roomed house was blown off leaving her furniture soaked.
“Last night, I did not sleep, I just sit down until the whole day and then the damage in the house is a lot of damage – because I don’t have a wardrobe, no mattress. All is wet and there is no sun. When it rains tonight I don’t know where I am going to sleep,” says Mpholwane.
A few minutes from Mpholwane’s house, this child-headed family does not know where they will get the funds to fix their roof. Corrugated iron sheets that had been blown off from their neighbour’s house damaged their roof.
Family representative, Raymond Ramaphoka says, “our neighbour’s house, the roofing went off and then it hit our roof and it damaged the tiles so we are appealing to anyone who can help us because we are a child-headed family and we have limited resources. We don’t have the money to repair the roof.”
Other affected residents are fearful that the storm may hit again, as the rainy season continues.
Regan Maswanganyi says “All my furniture is wet and all of my windows are broken. I slept while stilling on a chair throughout the night.”
Storm officials from the Mopani District Municipality’s disaster management unit are assessing the extent of the damage. They are also issuing food vouchers to affected families.
