Storm causes havoc
A 69-YEAR-old woman from Pniel narrowly escaped with her life on Monday evening when strong winds caused her shack to collapse while she was lying in her bed.
Lena Modise was one of several members of the community near Barkly West who were forced to seek shelter with relatives after their homes were damaged by the storm.
Residents were still picking up the pieces yesterday morning and said that rebuilding after storms had become a recurring ordeal due to inadequate housing.
“I was lying in bed when the wind started making a lot of noise outside,” Modise said yesterday. “The next thing I knew my shack collapsed. I was nearly killed. It was terrifying and I am so glad just to be alive.”
The 69-year-old’s elderly neighbour, Annie Bitterbos, said her shack was almost entirely demolished by the wind. She, however, got out of her house when she realised that her life was in danger.
“My house is badly damaged,” the 77-year-old woman said. “I was not home at the time of the storm. All the noise confused me and I ran away.”
Several other houses were also damaged during the storm and resident Moses Moitsi said that something needed to be done to ensure that the largely elderly community was given adequate, permanent shelter.
“I was born here 47 years ago and have lived here all my life,” he said. “In that time very little has changed and the people are still forced to live in shacks and houses with mud walls which are falling apart.
“There are young people living here, but most of the residents are older people who often need help,” Moitsi said.
“Last year we had to save Modise from her burning shack and now she is without a home again. Many residents were terrified when the storm hit and we had to go look for them to comfort them.
“There is a lot of damage but we thank God that nobody was in- jured or killed. A number of residents were forced to seek shelter with neighbours and lost everything.”
While the community of Pniel was hit hard by the storm, a spokesman for the Sol Plaatje Municipality said there were no major incidents in the city.
Eskom spokeswoman, Stefanie Jansen van Rensburg, warned members of the public to act with caution around damaged power lines and report such cases immediately.
“Strong winds and thunderstorms that occurred across the Free State and Northern Cape resulted in various electricity outages and damage to structures,” she said.
“In the Northern Cape all major faults have been restored while a few isolated incidents are still being addressed.
“Electricity can be switched on without notice. Please treat all electrical equipment as live and dangerous at all times.”
Enquiries can be directed to the Eskom Contact Centre on 08600 37566.