Heavy rain and severe winds in the Tsantsabane municipal area left many houses flooded and roofless.
The storm, which hit the town on Saturday (23/04), damaged 94 houses and 78 shacks in informal settlements and flooded 37 streets. Shattered windows, structural damage and uprooted trees were left in its wake. Several areas were also stranded with no access to electricity.
Postdene, Boichoko and Maranteng were among the areas most affected by the storm.
Two churches and a crèche in Postdene were left roofless. A brick fell on the head of an elderly woman from Newtown, and she was taken to the local hospital for treatment. In Haakbosdraai a tree completely destroyed a shack. A woman, who was inside the house at the time of its destruction, is being treated for shock.
According to Babalwa Mzambo, media liaison officer of the Northern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), no severe injuries to people were reported by Monday (25/04).
Mzambo said five families displaced by the floods opted to stay with family and friends until their homes could be repaired.
“The rain came from the wrong side,” said Marna van Zyl, a resident and community leader of Postmasburg.
According to Van Zyl, a severe storm hit the town at around 12:00, with a second one wreaking havoc between 15:00 and 16:00.
Shortly after the storm, a family from Postmasburg donated prepared meals to the affected residents, and a soup kitchen in Carnation also supplied food.
Temporary shelter was secured in rooms at the Postmasburg Showground.
Bentley Vass, MEC for Coghsta, and Nontobeko Vilakazi, MEC for the Department of Social Development (DSD), conducted an oversight visit under a clear blue sky on Monday.
A rapid response meeting also took place between the mayor and councillors to discuss issues concerning the disaster.
Severely affected households will be supplied with essential goods from the DSD until they are settled again. Local soup kitchens will provide food for the affected families for the time being, while the DSD will facilitate the process.
It was also determined that the owners of damaged structures need assistance with the procurement of building materials and the removal of uprooted trees. Ward councillors can be contacted for more information.
By Monday, many homeowners had started to repair their place of dwelling.
According to Mzambo, the municipality, together with the provincial disaster management committee, will continue to assess the damage to infrastructure.
