HOUSES in Moruleng, North West, were damaged following a heavy thunderstorm that started at about 8pm on Tuesday, 19 September.
Now families have been left devastated and homeless, and the Moruleng Mall is closed until further notice due to the severe damage caused by the storm.
A worker at the mall, Molebogeng Masimong, said they heard a strange sound before the storm reached the shopping centre.
"What looked like a tornado ripped through parts of the mall. We were all trying to hold the doors of our shops as the wind was very strong. I am still traumatised. We hope we will be able to return to work soon." she said.
One of the families affected said it would cost them more than R100 000 to repair the roof, windows, and buy new furniture.
They said they were relieved that no one was injured.
A member of the Royal family of Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela, Ntshadi Tsheole, told the Daily Sun that several houses were destroyed in all 34 villages in Moruleng.
ALSO READ: 'Stop being document certifiers, go fight crime!'
"We are very saddened by the situation," she said.
Ntshadi said they are still on the ground to find the number of destroyed houses.
"We can confirm that no fatalities or injuries have been reported. We will release a statement once we receive reports from the headmen in all the villages," she added.
Portfolio manager at Moruleng Mall, Rina Batt, said the mall is temporarily closed while they evaluate the damage from the severe storm and strong winds.
"Our engineers are currently assessing the situation," she said.
"We'll inform the public about reopening. The safety of residents and our staff always comes first," Batt said.
