Alice community mourns mother killed in storm

A 27-year-old mother lost her life when a wall collapsed during the storm that ripped through Nkobonkobo village near Alice on Sunday.

Noluthando Majiba was in a church with five other people when the wall collapsed.

Her body was discovered under a pile of bricks a few hours later when her siblings went to look for her at the church, the last place they had seen her.

A pensioner and a teenage boy were injured, both with broken legs.

The storm wreaked havoc in Alice and its surrounds.

In Nkobonkobo village, several homes were completely destroyed.

Amathole district municipality spokesperson Nonceba Madikizela-Cuba said a disaster management team was dispatched to Nkobonkobo to monitor the situation.

Majiba’s neighbour, Ntombizodwa Hani, 55, was with her when the tent serving as their church blew away, leaving them unprotected from the elements.

They ran to take cover in a building on the premises but Majiba ran to the back of the building, using the wall as a shelter against the strong rain and wind, Hani said.

“At first we thought she had gone home and we left the church premises.

"When we got home she was not there and we started panicking and searched for her.

"A few hours later we were alerted that she was found beneath the rubble,” Hani said.

“Not realising she was dead, we organised transport to take her to hospital. When we arrived [at the hospital] the doctors said she had died several hours earlier.” 

Hani described Majiba as a sweet person.

“The whole community is in pain and grieving.

"She dedicated all her life to the church and helping others in need,” Hani said.

Majiba’s sister, Sine, 20, and cousin, Asivenathi, 15, could not hold back their tears when speaking to the Dispatch.

Sine said her sister had been a the pillar of strength for the family.

“Because we don’t have parents she was everything to us and kept us all together,” she said.

In the village, families sat next to their destroyed homes, almost too shocked to move.

Noluvuyo Tokwe said the storm had blown the roof off her family home.

“We lost everything. We don’t have a place to sleep tonight.

"No-one is employed so we don’t know how we are going to rebuild the house.

"It’s a disaster,” Tokwe said.

She said disaster management officials had visited only Majiba’s home.

“The department should have inspected each of the affected homes and come with a way forward.

"Them not inspecting the damage leaves us in limbo,” she said.

Majiba leaves behind a two-year-old daughter. Her funeral is  scheduled for Saturday.

Madikizela-Vuso said the municipality was unaware that someone had died in the storm until officials went to the area to inspect.

Regarding homes that were damaged, she said: “The municipality will ask the human settlements department to assist where possible.”