Polokwane – Hundreds of people in Limpopo were left homeless after their houses were damaged by a storm that saw the roofs of at least 200 houses blown off.
The storm saw huge, tennis ball sized hailstones shatter roofs and destroy properties.
Cooperative Governance department spokesperson, Motupa Selomo said after the heavy weekend storm had dispersed residents in the hardest-hit areas were still struggling to come to terms with the devastation.
Selomo said the government had deployed disaster management to affected districts to assess the damage. “We can confirm that the province has been hit hard by the disaster on weekend when storm ravaged scattered areas.”
The provincial disaster management centre said homes in part of the Sekhukhune and Mopani districts were the ones hardest hit hard by the storm. Over 110 houses in the Mopani district were left without roofs.
At Apel village, south of Polokwane, at least 34 homes were left without roofs.
Spencer Moraswi said how after roofs had caved in, everything else beneath it – furniture and clothes – were “badly damaged” by the storm.
“We have provided temporary shelter, we are also on the process to hand over food parcels,” he said.
Prudence Mosehla and her five siblings were among those left homeless by the storm after their house’s roof was blown off.
“We don’t have a place to stay anymore, our house no longer has a roof – it was blown off and only timbers are left,” she said.
The unemployed woman said they sought refuge from neighbour. “It is not safe, we cannot be staying in this house anymore, it also needs to be repaired but we don’t have money,” said Mosehla
Mosehla said that her prayer was that the government would help them repair their house.
Jackpot Maseema spent Monday afternoon picking up scattered corrugated iron sheets that had been ripped off in a bid to repair his home.
“Everything that was in this house is wet and furniture, and food, we are repairing the roof so that we can have a place to stay,” he said.
Local municipalities said they were assisting victims with foods, temporary shelter and blankets.
On the road between Jane Furse and Lebowakgomo, motorists battled with strong winds that threatened to sweep them across the road.
Selomo has urged residents to make use of Disaster Management’s toll free number, 0800 222 111 to alert officials of any further disasters.
African News Agency
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