Strong winds leave family with gaping hole in their home

Resident Christina Nhlapo (49) says she became uneasy when the storm started because she could hear the zinc sheet roofing ‘moving’ but never thought it would blow away.

She says she then heard a loud bang and her and her son, Sibusiso Nhlapo (30), rushed to the source of the noise in her bedroom and saw some of the zinc sheets had come loose.

They grabbed hold of a section to prevent it from ‘flying away’.

“We ended up letting go because the wind was too strong and we could no longer hold it,” says Christina.

She explains she extended her RDP home a few years ago because she had a large family and the three-room house wasn’t big enough.

“I live with seven children and had to extend the house to make room for us all,” says Christina.

She is not sure whether the roof was incorrectly installed or if the storm was just too strong.

“I’m shocked that a storm, which didn’t even last an hour, could do so much damage, we have never had to worry about such weather conditions before because we thought our house was well made,” says Christina.

All the furniture in her bedroom was damaged and she has used canvas to cover the opening in the roof.

Ward councillor Phindile Mbonani says she wasn’t aware that a resident’s home was damaged during the storm on Saturday, but she will make sure she attends to the family.

“When such events occur, residents should go to their nearest Customer Care Centres to report the issues so we as councillors are able to act,” says Mbonani.