A Belfast farmer suffered severe storm damage to his home after claiming a tornado ripped through his property.

Mr Hlabathi Samson Sibande says the wind was so strong, his entire roof was ripped from his home, walls caved in and the property is now uninhabitable.

Mr Sibande says he reached out to the Emakhazeni Local Municipality for assistance to re-roof his home and fix the structural damage.

The incident occurred last Wednesday.

“There’s nothing you can do but helplessly look on while your home is being pulled apart,” he told the Middelburg Observer.

He says he now resides in a storeroom on the farm, which was luckily not damaged.

“It was a swirling wind, not quite as destructive as a full-blown tornado, and not quite as meek as a dust devil,” Mr Sibande said.

The wind was, however, strong enough to cause thousands of rands worth of damage.

“I’m appealing to kind-hearted people who can perhaps assist us with fixing our home, as we’re in no financial position to do it ourselves,” Mr Sibande explained.

The wind also uprooted a number of trees on the property.

Anyone able to assist Mr Sibande with materials or support can contact him on 073 456 9142.