Flooded yards, streets and damaged possessions marked a devastating sight in Tshakhuma outside Thohoyondou after torrential rains that hit the area at the weekend.
Residents were yesterday busy with mop-up operations after tropical cyclone Eloise struck parts of the country.
Brickmaker John Chauke, who operates his business along the Lutanandwa River, said it was going to be agonising to start his business again after the flooded river washed off his operation.
“I had packed my cement bricks and building pillars in the yard. When I came back to cheque on Sunday morning, I found that they have been swept away,” Chauke said.
He said it was going to be difficult for him to start afresh.
“I had already found a buyer for 500 bricks and he was due to collect them soon. This is a huge setback for me but I can’t blame anyone because what happened is natural.”
Julia Munyai and her family placed sand bags in front of their house to block water from running into the house.
“But our plan didn’t work because we ended up getting flooded. As I’m talking to you my wardrobe, bed, blankets, clothes and food are still wet,” she said.
Another Tshakhuma resident, Tshililo Neluvhalani, told Sowetan she doesn’t know what will happen to her and her family if the authorities don’t provide food and shelter.
“Our yard is waterlogged and there is no way we can prepare food with firewood in this weather because everything is wet,” she said.
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Makhado local municipality ward councillor Steven Nemudzivhadi said at least 10 households were severely affected in Tshakhuma.
South African Red Cross Society programme manager Irene Mutombwa confirmed that Tshakhuma was the worst hit area compared to other places in the Vhembe district. Their team was assessing the situation.
Meanwhile, in KwaZulu-Natal, two people were injured when their house collapsed yesterday as heavy rain lashed Esilweni near Vryheid.
“Disaster management teams will be keeping an eye on these developments as the risk of widespread flooding remains high. Residents in big five Hlabisa municipality, Jozini, Mtubatuba and uMhlabuyalingana have been urged to be vigilant and to tune into their community radio stations for the latest updates on the weather,” said the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs in KZN.
In Mpumalanga, shelter was provided to several families who were affected by the cyclone. In the Nkomazi municipality, residents were warned about lack of water as pumps were swept away.
“Water pumps in some villages have been buried in sand and rubble. That means water distribution is going to be heavily affected in our municipality but we are trying by all means to bring the situation to normal,” said Nkomazi spokesperson Cyril Ripinga.
Sizwe Mbabane whose house collapsed in the area said: “I said I was going to die. We just saw the rain water entering the house and before it could crash on us we rushed out. Thanks to the municipality for giving us a temporary place to stay.”
Corporate governance spokesperson Mthethwa said the province’s concern was settlements built in areas susceptible to flooding.
“The most affected area is Mkhuhlu in Bushbuckridge and families have been provided with temporary shelters and food as most of their belongings were washed away by floods.
“We are hugely concerned because as we are expecting the rain to last the whole week,” Mthethwa said. — Additional reporting Nivashni Nair
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