A poweful tornado left hundreds of residents at Botleng township in Delmas, Mpumalanga, homeless this week.
On Thursday, residents were collecting the remnants of what were once their houses after the tornado wreaked havoc on Tuesday at the newly developed Extension 5. Eighty-four RDP houses were damaged. Some residents are now sleeping in the community hall.
Corrugated iron sheets, building material and household items were swept as far as a kilometre away. Cars were also not spared.
Sphiwe Skhosana recalled the disaster that left her homeless.
"I was with my son Thabang around 7pm watching television when lightning struck. I then heard a huge roaring sound. I peeped through the window and realised it had suddenly became dark outside.
"I saw dark clouds accompanied by strong winds [approaching]. I watched as my shack outside the house was blown away with everything inside. My house then started to shake. I quickly took Thabang to a corner in the kitchen where we knelt and prayed.
"All windows broke at once as if someone was using a hammer to smash them. After a while it became calm.
"I noticed that our house was [like] a cabriolet [roofless] and we took refuge at a neighbour's house for the night. My house was flooded," she said.
All her electrical appliances and furniture were damaged. Her right foot had to be stitched in hospital after an object fell on it.
Bongani Nkatha was away visiting his parents when the disaster struck. He was called by a neighbour after his house was left roofless. "I'm unemployed and have no money to repair my house. I don't know what could have happened to me if I were home when the tornado struck. I've been sleeping inside this roofless house since the incident and I need help to fix it."
King Bonani was at work in Secunda when his wife called him to rush back home. "I wasted no time and drove home. When I arrived I could not believe what I saw. My house's roof was blown away, but fortunately none of my family members were injured. We spent two nights sleeping inside the car. I'm now building a shack where we can be able to sleep until this house is fixed," he said.
Sphiwe Kunene's house and a black Toyota Yaris were damaged.
"I had just arrived home and parked my car when the weather started changing. I was scared and didn't know what to do. The roof was blown away, groceries and clothes followed while appliances fell on the ground.
"Outside, the roof of my car was damaged by falling and flying objects. I'm devastated," he said.
Delmas residents relive day their roofs flew off
A poweful tornado left hundreds of residents at Botleng township in Delmas, Mpumalanga, homeless this week.
On Thursday, residents were collecting the remnants of what were once their houses after the tornado wreaked havoc on Tuesday at the newly developed Extension 5. Eighty-four RDP houses were damaged. Some residents are now sleeping in the community hall.
Corrugated iron sheets, building material and household items were swept as far as a kilometre away. Cars were also not spared.
Sphiwe Skhosana recalled the disaster that left her homeless.
"I was with my son Thabang around 7pm watching television when lightning struck. I then heard a huge roaring sound. I peeped through the window and realised it had suddenly became dark outside.
"I saw dark clouds accompanied by strong winds [approaching]. I watched as my shack outside the house was blown away with everything inside. My house then started to shake. I quickly took Thabang to a corner in the kitchen where we knelt and prayed.
"All windows broke at once as if someone was using a hammer to smash them. After a while it became calm.
"I noticed that our house was [like] a cabriolet [roofless] and we took refuge at a neighbour's house for the night. My house was flooded," she said.
All her electrical appliances and furniture were damaged. Her right foot had to be stitched in hospital after an object fell on it.
Bongani Nkatha was away visiting his parents when the disaster struck. He was called by a neighbour after his house was left roofless. "I'm unemployed and have no money to repair my house. I don't know what could have happened to me if I were home when the tornado struck. I've been sleeping inside this roofless house since the incident and I need help to fix it."
King Bonani was at work in Secunda when his wife called him to rush back home. "I wasted no time and drove home. When I arrived I could not believe what I saw. My house's roof was blown away, but fortunately none of my family members were injured. We spent two nights sleeping inside the car. I'm now building a shack where we can be able to sleep until this house is fixed," he said.
Sphiwe Kunene's house and a black Toyota Yaris were damaged.
"I had just arrived home and parked my car when the weather started changing. I was scared and didn't know what to do. The roof was blown away, groceries and clothes followed while appliances fell on the ground.
"Outside, the roof of my car was damaged by falling and flying objects. I'm devastated," he said.
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