FATE has been cruel on Mthavini Chauke, a Limpopo single mother of five.

Last week she buried her mother, Tsatsawani Chauke, at Jilongo village, near Malamulele.

And while she was mourning mother's death, her RDP house was destroyed by a heavy rainstorm.

To her it was like the world had crumbled down on her.

"When the house was destroyed all our belongings, including the children's school books, were inside," Chauke said.

She is unemployed and two of her married sons are also unemployed.

They make do with a government support grant of R250 for each child.

"We are lucky because the destruction happened at 4.30pm. If it was at night we would all have died," she said.

The house was built in 2004.

Not far from her home is unemployed Phineas Chavalala's house, which was also destroyed.

"You can see the damage, there was food inside and it was destroyed by the rainstorm," he said.

The chairperson of the Matsakali branch of the SA National Civics Organisation, Edmond Maluleke, said the devastation in the village was huge and they were trying to assess the damage.

"A lot of people have been left with no shelter.

"Most of them are unemployed and don't know how they will be able to repair the damage," Maluleke said.

About 70 families were affected at Matsakali, Halahala, Muchipisi, Lambani and Mapapila villages.

Disaster management head at the Thulamela municipality Khazamula Chavalala said they had sent food parcels to the areas and were arranging blankets and shelter.