SEVERAL families have been left homeless and devastated after violent storm hit their villages in some parts of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga on Saturday night, 9 December.
Access roads were obstructed by fallen trees which were uprooted by the storm, which also damaged cars, church halls, powerlines, shops and houses in Dumphries, MP Stream, Hluvukani, Rolle, Allandale and Mkhuhlu areas.
Carol Nyakane (46) of MP stream Village outside Thulamahashe said she and her six kids and two grandkids had just gone to sleep when they were suddenly woken by a hail storm.
"We heard the thunderstorm and stones hit the roof. We saw the door and its doorframe ripped followed by the roof which was blown away from the RDP. The walls crumbled. My daughter Appreciate Khoza (19) sustained slight injuries on her leg.
"But we managed to quickly ran out to hide under a tree. Unfortunately, the storm ripped the tree off the ground. We saw the devil snatching our lives. The entire village was abuzz with people shouting and calling for God to save our lives," she said.
Carol's son, Gladman (23) said the havoc happened very quickly. They later spotted the damaged zinc and doors scattered around the yard, nearby road and railway line.
"There's nothing left for us to take home. All zinc and doors were damaged. We've to start afresh. All food, clothes, furniture and documents including IDs were damaged and no one is working here," he said.
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Mkhulu Petros Nyakane (66) said two rooms of his RDP were also damaged.
Worried traditional healer, Tronic Khoza (57), who works in Gauteng, said she received a call from her kids and neighbours that her 10-roomed house was hit by the storm.
"We had to drive back home. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing in the village. Tiles and thatch roofs were damaged and families were trying to fix the house from the damaged pieces. The roof of my 10-roomed house and part of my indumba were blown away. Furniture, valuable items, food, clothes and muthi were damaged," she said.
Her neighbour, Assah Mkhatshwa said: "I saved her two kids after the roof of their house was hit by the storm. They're traumatizsed after the terrible drama."
Bushbuckridge Municipality spokeswoman, Fhumulani Thovhakale said councillors in the affected areas are on site assessing the damage caused by the storm, with the aim of helping where the municipality will be able to.
"The information collected from the affected areas is submitted by councillors and officials from disaster unit and disaster management centre, wherein the district is roped in to help," she said.
She said all affected communities that might not have been assessed and visited by their councillors are requested to contact their councillors and ward committees for help.
