Storm-hit residents from informal settlements around Buffalo City Metro had to move in with neighbours after their shacks were destroyed by extreme blasts of wind and rain which smashed into parts of the province on Monday afternoon.
More than five families from Mpilisweni informal settlement in NU7 spoke to the Daily Dispatch yesterday afternoon, reliving the horror of how their homes had been destroyed by the gales, heavy rains and hail, leaving them with no shelter or food.
Unemployed Louini Ndzundzu said she and her family had to spend the night with her neighbour, who lives in a shack. She said the roof leaked throughout the night. “I have nowhere to go and nothing to rebuild my shack with, and more than anything, losing our home has robbed us of our dignity…we have to ask for shelter, but how do you ask for food from people who are hustling for themselves?”
Zoliswa Mqongwana, who initially sought shelter at a neighbour’s house, had to go back to her family so that her brood of seven could be accommodated.
“We have nothing,” she said.
“Everything we had has been destroyed in the storm, and now we are all sharing a single flat at the back of my extended family’s house.
“I could not even brush my teeth or bath this morning, because I don’t have a toothbrush or a face cloth any more.
“We had invested so much in our recently erected shack, but now all I have left are the clothes I have been wearing since yesterday.”
Ward 20 councillor, Ntombizodwa Gamnca, who assured the Dispatch that displaced families would be accommodated at the NU7 community hall on Monday evening, said the key to the facility could not be found by Monday evening.
“As much as we hoped to have had everyone safely placed into the NU7 hall, there were issues with locating the keys to the hall, and disaster management did not have enough blankets to accommodate everyone who had been displaced.”
She said she and others had conducted an “audit” for the municipality to buy blankets for all displaced families.
DA PR councillor Bill Gould said shacks at NU2’s Ethembeni informal settlement were among those badly affected by the storm.
“I received a phone call in the late hours of Monday evening about a family of seven which was displaced in that area.
“However, yesterday morning I was notified that the shack was being rehabilitated by the community for the family.”
Mdantsane City Mall management spokesman Dean Deary said the mall was still recovering from the storm.
Stores in the mall, including fast food chain store Debonairs, were damaged by the strong winds.
“Two major anchors of the mall, Pick n Pay and Fruit & Veg retail stores, have been forced to close shop since the massive storm hit,” said Deary.
“A section of the roof covering till points at the entrance of Pick n Pay was ripped off, while the roller door at the entrance of Fruit & Veg and a section of their roof were damaged.
“The Buffalo City Metro office and Chesa Nyama have also not been trading due to the glass doors also being badly damaged.”
Deary said the storm damage could not have occurred at a worse time.
“We have had a challenge in acquiring service providers to speedily fix everything because at this time of the year many of them are still on leave.
“We have had to place 14 additional security guards to man the units which have been compromised by the broken glass.
“However, despite this, it has been business as usual at Debonairs,” he said. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
l See page 5
Residents pick up pieces after storm
More than five families from Mpilisweni informal settlement in NU7 spoke to the Daily Dispatch yesterday afternoon, reliving the horror of how their homes had been destroyed by the gales, heavy rains and hail, leaving them with no shelter or food.
Unemployed Louini Ndzundzu said she and her family had to spend the night with her neighbour, who lives in a shack. She said the roof leaked throughout the night. “I have nowhere to go and nothing to rebuild my shack with, and more than anything, losing our home has robbed us of our dignity…we have to ask for shelter, but how do you ask for food from people who are hustling for themselves?”
Zoliswa Mqongwana, who initially sought shelter at a neighbour’s house, had to go back to her family so that her brood of seven could be accommodated.
“We have nothing,” she said.
“Everything we had has been destroyed in the storm, and now we are all sharing a single flat at the back of my extended family’s house.
“I could not even brush my teeth or bath this morning, because I don’t have a toothbrush or a face cloth any more.
“We had invested so much in our recently erected shack, but now all I have left are the clothes I have been wearing since yesterday.”
Ward 20 councillor, Ntombizodwa Gamnca, who assured the Dispatch that displaced families would be accommodated at the NU7 community hall on Monday evening, said the key to the facility could not be found by Monday evening.
“As much as we hoped to have had everyone safely placed into the NU7 hall, there were issues with locating the keys to the hall, and disaster management did not have enough blankets to accommodate everyone who had been displaced.”
She said she and others had conducted an “audit” for the municipality to buy blankets for all displaced families.
DA PR councillor Bill Gould said shacks at NU2’s Ethembeni informal settlement were among those badly affected by the storm.
“I received a phone call in the late hours of Monday evening about a family of seven which was displaced in that area.
“However, yesterday morning I was notified that the shack was being rehabilitated by the community for the family.”
Mdantsane City Mall management spokesman Dean Deary said the mall was still recovering from the storm.
Stores in the mall, including fast food chain store Debonairs, were damaged by the strong winds.
“Two major anchors of the mall, Pick n Pay and Fruit & Veg retail stores, have been forced to close shop since the massive storm hit,” said Deary.
“A section of the roof covering till points at the entrance of Pick n Pay was ripped off, while the roller door at the entrance of Fruit & Veg and a section of their roof were damaged.
“The Buffalo City Metro office and Chesa Nyama have also not been trading due to the glass doors also being badly damaged.”
Deary said the storm damage could not have occurred at a worse time.
“We have had a challenge in acquiring service providers to speedily fix everything because at this time of the year many of them are still on leave.
“We have had to place 14 additional security guards to man the units which have been compromised by the broken glass.
“However, despite this, it has been business as usual at Debonairs,” he said. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
l See page 5
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