#KZNFLOODS: Heavy rains claim lives of four Clermont siblings

A CLERMONT family is shattered following the death of four siblings.

Nhlanhla Mkhize (28), Ayanda Sokhela (16), Sandile Sokhela (14) and Olwethu Sokhela (12) were killed after the United Methodist Church of South Africa collapsed and fell on a row of rented cottages.

On Thursday, the distraught family members were still in shock and struggled to utter a word. Their paternal grandmother sobbed silently.

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What’s more painful is that the four bodies were only removed from under the rubble after 24 hours.

The siblings aunt, Nonhlanhla Sithole said it still feels like a nightmare.

“I can not believe all my sister’s children are gone, she is in a depressing state, we do not even know how to comfort her, this situation is hard on all of us” said Sithole.

According to the aunt, the siblings were sleeping in two different rooms. Their mother, Lamulile Sithole was working night shift.

“The younger one was sleeping with her father. Luckily the community was able to save the father,” said Sithole.

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“He is not coping, I sleep with him at night and he hardly gets any sleep, he cries at night and is shaken by the slightest noise,” said his brother.

Sandile and Olwethu were Ziphathele High School learners while Olwethu was a Grade 7 learner at Udumo Primary School.

The four sibling will be buried in KwaHlabisa on Sunday, April 24.