Windstorm hits Hoedies hard

The Hlokomela Herbal Garden, an NGO in the area, suffered extensive damage from hail and strong winds and plants were destroyed. It will take them some time to recover from the damage caused by the storm. According to Marie Helm of the DA, the newly built Salt Cave Eco Hut was also badly damaged. She said the DA is monitoring the situation to ensure the municipality fulfils its commitment to assist the affected areas.

“The destructive storm also caused massive damage to the Blyde Centre, the roofs of a petrol station, bottle store and other shops were ripped off and the butchery had to urgently find storage for its products,” said Helm. In the Essex Road area, one home was destroyed, trees were uprooted and fell on roofs and littered the roads. Some residents were injured and needed medical treatment. The community spent the weekend clearing the roads. “Farmers in Hoedspruit have suffered great losses due to the substantial damage to the mango export harvest in this area.

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“This will negatively impact the income and economic outlook for this area.” She said the storm will also influence seasonal farm workers, although the Maruleng Local Municipality has promised support. Electricity and water provision were also disrupted by the strong winds and heavy rains. The Blyde Centre, Driehoek Centre, residents on Essex Road and Bavaria Estate were all without electricity from Friday night. “The electricity distribution lines to the Essex and Parma pumps were badly damaged by the storm and no water could be pumped from Friday night.

“This meant that water-shedding was introduced as an emergency measure,” she added. She said communities in Hoedspruit assisted in clearing up the roads. She also praised the resilience of farmers and businesspeople in the area who continued operating in difficult condition. She said Eskom responded quickly to the emergency and tried to fix the damage and restore electricity to all areas as soon as possible.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that the communities of Hoedspruit have their basic services restored and that the municipality is better prepared and resourced for any similar events in the future.” MJ du Preez, the project manager at Hlokomela, told the Herald the cost of the damage is yet to be determined. “The team is working on checking what was damaged,” he said at the time of going to print on Monday.