Life after a tornado – informal settlement needs help after storm
"The night after the tornado, we slept on wet concrete floors."
The community of Munsieville informal settlement is still suffering after the tornado that hit the area on Monday, 9 October.
“The night after the tornado, we slept on wet concrete floors,” said Reitumetse Moloantoa, a resident of the informal settlement. “We are nine living in this house, and the wind took the roof. So now we are nine people without a roof.”
Reitumetse isn’t the only one suffering after the storm.
Jose Basima, an elderly man who used to live in a shack, said when he returned home after work, his home was gone.
Photo: Bianca Pindral.
“I sat on the pavement looking at the empty stall where my house used to stand. It’s empty, like there wasn’t anything built on it,” said Jose.
Luckily, Jose’s employer lent him a tent in which he can spend his nights until he finds alternative accommodation.
Ester Mokoni and Johanna Molefe, two women living in a small house, also have a lot of damage to deal with.
Photo: Bianca Pindral.
“We were building a structure to rent out for some extra income. The structure was flattened. We have to rebuild from scratch. Our windows are also broken, our beds are wet and everything electrical was destroyed,” said Ester.
The community members claim that they haven’t had a visit from the ward councillor of the area since the storm.
“I don’t understand how the ward councillor didn’t even come to us after the storm. Isn’t it the duty of the municipality and disaster management to help us after the storm?” asked Sibongile Jabane, spokesperson for the informal settlement.
She took the News through Mogapi Ngesi’s house to show how the members of the community have been affected by the storm.
See the video here:
Evodia Cindi, councillor for Ward 27 Munsieville, said she hadn’t had a chance to go to Munsieville informal settlement after the storm despite the fact that she lives in the lower part of the area.
She was allegedly driving when the News contacted her for an interview and said she would speak to us later.
Disaster management did provide some relief to Munsieville, but didn’t assist the informal settlement.
Photo: Bianca Pindral.
The News is taking donations from members of the public who wish to help those in need.
For more information or to donate, contact journalist Bianca Pindral on biancap@caxton.co.za or 011 591 3722.
Here are some of the things they need:
• Blankets and bedding
• Tinned food: Nothing that needs to be prepared because some areas still don’t have electricity.
• Baby food, formula and feeding bottles
• Nappies
• Warm clothes and jackets
• Equipment and materials to repair shacks
• Clean water
• Medical kits, such as bandages and plasters
• Toiletries, including toilet paper and towels
• School stationery and books for children
• School clothes
• Shoes
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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