Tornado leaves 35 OR Tambo families homeless

At least 35 families have been left homeless in the OR Tambo district, after a tornado ripped through several villages over the weekend.

Damage was reported in villages in the Mhlontlo and Nyandeni municipalities, while King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipality was also affected by Friday's tornado.  

OR Tambo district municipal spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane confirmed that 29 families in Mhlontlo had been left without homes. Six houses were destroyed in Nyandeni.

The district municipality's disaster management unit was still assessing the damage.

OR Tambo mayor Thokozile Sokanyile visited Mhlontlo and Nyandeni on Monday. Displaced residents were given blankets and mattresses.

The most affected areas are ward 1 in Nyandeni and ward 16 and 18 in KSD.

Zingcuka, Bele and Nomadolo are the hardest hit villages in Mhlontlo's ward 3, while Ntshiqo, Ntibane Farms and Mayaluleni were the most affected in ward 7.

Sokanyile told victims the district municipality would meet various government departments to plan a way forward.

“But we cannot call it a disaster yet. It is (categorised) as an incident until we have done a thorough assessment of the extent of the damage,” Sokanyile said.

Many of those affected have been taken in by neighbours or relatives.

Communities have been asked to contact the OR Tambo disaster management centre on 047-501-6494 or to call 112.

sikhon@dispatch.co.za