{"id":37914,"date":"2015-11-24T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/echonews.sites.caxton.co.za\/37914\/hailstorm-hits-mhluzi\/"},"modified":"2015-11-25T08:35:23","modified_gmt":"2015-11-25T06:35:23","slug":"hailstorm-hits-mhluzi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/news-headlines\/2015\/11\/24\/hailstorm-hits-mhluzi\/","title":{"rendered":"Hailstorm hits Mhluzi"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the houses destroyed, was that of 85 year old Mrs Martha Maposa in Extension 5. Mrs Maposa lives with her ill daughter and granddaughter in a two room house which they extended with a shack.<\/p>\n

The shack was totally destroyed by the hailstorm.<\/p>\n

“I was sitting on my bed when the rain started, I just saw my shoes floating, when I took a proper look, my house was full of ice. The hailstorm was so powerful that it pushed my door open,” said Mrs Maposa.<\/p>\n

When an Observer journalist went to the house on Tuesday afternoon, the hail was still in the house about two feet high.<\/p>\n

Many houses in the same street suffered the same fate.<\/p>\n

Ms Sarafina Nkosi’s wall fell to the ground due to the hail.<\/p>\n

Many were forced to stay at home on Tuesday to clean up and hang their clothes and household goods to dry.<\/p>\n

“I could not sleep on Monday night, our blankets were wet, we had to sit on crates to sleep,” added emotional Mrs Maposa.<\/p>\n

“It’s unfortunate what happened, we sympathy with the victims,” said Mr Mandla Mnguni, Municipal Manager.<\/p>\n

“Victims must report the matters to their ward Councillors, they will then communicate with the relevant stakeholder, where they will assess the situation and assist where they can,” said Prudence Magutle, Head of Communications at the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.<\/p>\n

Pictures and a video of the hailstorms aftermath at the five destroyed houses are available on www.mobserver.co.za.<\/p>\n