Twelve families who were left homeless after their houses were destroyed by a hailstorm on December 1 in Ntabankulu, could have their homes rebuilt by Christmas – that is, if newly-appointed human settlements MEC Babalo Madikizela, delivers on his promise and the contractors deliver on theirs.
Close to 100 people were left without shelter when their roofs and part of the walls of their homes were swept away by heavy winds and rain in Ngwevemnyama village.
Ziphathe Zweni, a villager, said the storm had swept through the village at 7pm.
“Luckily it happened while we were still awake. Had we been asleep I would not be talking to you right now because I would have been dead,” he said.
While most families were left with no other option but to seek shelter with their neighbours, Zweni, his wife, daughter and six grandchildren share a rondavel, the only remaining structure in their homestead.
Busisiwe Sidumo said she and six children fled to a neighbour’s home when their house showed signs of instability.
“The roof started flapping and the walls were shaking. We ran out of the house and when we got to our neighbour we looked back and saw the roof being lifted off and blowing miles away,” said Sidumo.
The department of human settlements said the contractors had been sent to the site on Saturday and started work on Sunday.
This was confirmed by some of the affected villagers who said machines were on site to demolish what remained of the damaged houses.
According to Madikizela, his office together with Ntabankulu mayor Tsileng Sobuthongo visited the affected families a day after the incident, to assess the extent of the disaster.
The team handed over blankets and groceries to the families.
Madikizela promised the villagers that the department would rebuild their houses in time for Christmas.
“Our only challenge will be rain, but we are confident that these houses will be completed in time for Christmas. We have consulted all affected parties, including the National Home Builders Registration Council to keep them in the loop. This is an emergency.”
The MEC said they wanted to move away from temporary structures as they made no financial sense.
The MEC’s spokesperson, Simthandile Ford, said a local contractor had been appointed to do the job...