Hailstorm damages homes across Mahikeng, disaster unit deployed

Municipal authorities activated emergency response teams after severe weather destroyed roofs and collapsed walls in the North West capital.

A severe hailstorm damaged numerous homes across Mahikeng in North West province, prompting local authorities to activate disaster management units to assess the extent of destruction¹².

The storm caused roofs to cave in, walls to collapse, and windows to break in multiple areas around the provincial capital¹². Municipal spokesperson Johny Nkoane confirmed that the disaster management unit would visit affected families to conduct assessments and compile reports for the municipality¹. We have received reports that people's properties have been damaged, Nkoane said¹. We are heartbroken, and we are very sorry to everyone who has been affected by the hailstorm, he added¹.

Among those affected was pensioner Emily Nageng, who described how a wall in her home collapsed during the storm². I was sitting when I suddenly saw the wall collapsing. It fell onto the counters, and all the groceries got wet, Nageng said². She reported that her grandchildren's clothing was soaked and they could not attend school². I do not know where we are going to sleep tonight, and I don't know what the children are going to eat, she said².

Another affected resident, described as a single parent, said the roof and home appliances were ruined². We hardly slept last night. It was very painful, the resident said².

Multiple residents indicated they lacked financial resources to rebuild their damaged properties².