THE Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality in the Free State has confirmed that at least 200 houses, five shops and a school have been destroyed.
The destruction was caused by a massive thunderstorm on Tuesday, 19 September.
This after the so-called first spring thunderstorm caused major wind damage in two towns in the province, Bethlehem and Harrismith.
The storm also affected some shops in the Harrismith CBD, Madiboho Primary School in Intabazwe, as well as two community halls.
A David Donga Mkhonza (56) was forced to sleep in the roofless house with a wet blanket.
"I was not at home when the storm blew away my grandmother's house. I wish the government could help me repair the house. I had to sleep in the house in the same condition," David said.
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Ward Councillor Mandlenkosi Dlamini said it was unfortunate that Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality had not learnt from what happened in KZN, where floods destroyed everything, including infrastructure and many people lost their lives.
Thabo Mofutsanyana's disaster management officer, Sthembiso Mthombeni, told Daily Sun that two people in Bethlehem were admitted to hospital after sustaining injuries during the storm.
Sthembiso said they will inform the media as soon as they have completed a report and will include accurate figures on the damage.
District Mayor Conny Msibi said they have set up a joint operations centre involving various government agencies and municipalities to prepare a report and find an amicable solution.
