Heavy storms in Mthatha leave residents homeless

Heavy storms have destroyed homes and left many people homeless at Xhongorha village, outside Mthatha, Eastern Cape. Road infrastructure, electricity poles and wires were severely damaged. Blown-off roofs and uprooted trees are scattered all over the village.

Heavy ruthless hailstorm terrorizing the community of Sigubudwini and Xhongorha. Scores of homes collapsed to the ground, while the rooftops are ripped off.

Hundreds of people were left homeless, one reported dead and scores taken to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital. Children have no food and place to sleep.

It’s a disastrous situation that got people fearing that the storm might recur.

“I have lost everything, clothes and beds are wet. My children went to bed on an empty stomach, I am also hungry, my kids have been crying since yesterday. They are traumatized and they need counseling, it is difficult we do not know what to do,” says villager Kwakhanya Sanela.

This family is desperate for immediate assistance.

“I am left homeless. I have lost everything, the storm just crippled our livelihood. I am sifting my clothes from the collapsed walls. We do not have a place, we do not know what will happen when the sun goes down. We would like government to come and help us because we need help,” says Nolungelo Petrosi.

In this homestead, children survived the storm but they have lost a home and as the sun goes down it leaves them with empty stomachs. It’s a sad situation that needs urgent intervention from the authorities.

“We will never have a home because my mother is not well. Even Thembalethu his son is not well. We are asking the government to extend a giving hand. We are desperate for any kind of assistance. Even if government can just provide shelter so that when they die, they die decently,” says Nomisile Phike.

“It is bad. Our home is gone. My sister’s home is gone, my third sister’s home is demolished. My house is also gone. I also had a creche but all that is gone now we do not know what will happen next,” says Nosakhele Ntoyanto.

Electric poles, road infrastructure, water supply and crops are distorted. Some villagers are trying to collect pieces of what they can re-use. It’s not clear where are these people going to spend the night. This torn apart village will cost government millions to bring it back to normality.

The disaster management team has been dispatched to all the affected areas in the OR Tambo region to assess the extent of the damage.

Heavy storms leave many homeless at Xhongorha village: