17 Nov 2019

A heavy rain recently damaged more than 30 houses and left some families in need of accommodation in Digawana, Gopong, Lorwana and Mogojogojo in the Good Hope Sub-district.

An elderly man in Mogojogojo was treated for serious head and shoulder injuries after a wall fell on him when he was trying to rescue his belongings from a collapsing house.

However other victims escaped the disaster unharmed.

The storm also blew off a large part of a roof of the administration block at Digawana Primary School.

Water flooded two offices and caused damage to a photocopying machine, school television set and books.

The storm also damaged a porta cabin housing the Infectious Disease Control Centre (IDCC) at Digawana Clinic. 

Some trees were uprooted while the entire roof of a church was blown away.

Member of Parliament for Mmathethe/Molapowabojang, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, visited affected villages on November 14. 

He was accompanied by officers from the office of the deputy district commissioner in the sub-district.

Dr Dikoloti, who is also Minister of Agriculture Development and Food Security, commended officers for their swiftness in assessing the situation and mobilising assistance to victims.

“As I moved around checking the victims, they were calm now, and it is because of the immediate response from the officers,” he said.

The MP assured victims that government would assist them with temporary accommodation and food items by government. 

He, however, pleaded with the business community and other good Samaritans to assist where they could.

The four villages are close to each other, with few kilometres separating them. 

Dr Dikoloti said the area where the four villages are located was historically prone to incidents of this nature.

However, he said they had not experienced any severe damage to property over the past five years.  

Assistant district commissioner in Good Hope sub district, Ms Peggy Kutlase explained that the office had already commenced activities to assist victims. 

She said victims would be given food and tents for accommodation. Ms Kutlase said when they made the assessment, they identified 30 families, which required immediate assistance. 

She, however, said they expected the figures to rise as the assessment continued. Ends