SEKUSHONE abantu abangu-14 KwaZulu-Natal ngenxa yemvula enamandla okusaminciwe njengoba kuxwayiswe ngokuthi izoqhubeka namuhla nakusasa. Kushone ababili, kwadilika izindlu, kwasiphuka nezihlahla. Isiphepho esihlasele sashiya kukhalwa eMpolweni kuMasipala uMshwathi ngoLwesibili ntambama.
Kulimale abantu abangaphezu kuka-20, othayela bemizi eminingi basale beyimifunzane phansi abanye begaxele ezintanjeni zikagesi. Kukhahlamezeke imizi ewu-798.
Abashonile bacindezelwe yizindonga nophahla lwezindlu oludilikele kubona.
Kwenzeka lesi sehlo eMpolweni nje ngoMsombuluko ebusuku kushone uMnuz Simangaliso Zondo (68) noNksz Nomathemba Nyangule (55) ngenxa yemvula enamandla eMaoti, eNanda. NgeSonto kushone uNksz Sthembile Nothile Zimba (24) oshaywe wumbani kuMasipala uKhahlamba.
KUSALE kumapeketwane eMpolweni ngemuva kwesiphepho esisiphule izihlala sadiliz imizi sacekela phansi ingqalasizinda kagesi. Isithombe: Leon Lestrade/ANA
UNkk Nonhlanhla Buthelezi (44) wasesigodini iThokozani, eMpolweni, ushone ngesikhathi kusiphuka isihlahla esikhulu ebesisegcekeni lakwakhe siwele phezu kwendlu yodaka yamcindezela.
Kuthiwa omakhelwane bazamile ukumtakula washona sekufika i-ambulensi.
Indodakazi yakhe uNksz Noluthando Buthelezi (19) ithe unina umyalele ukuthi mabayoquba kwamakhelwane nezingane zakwabo ezincane ezimbili ngesikhathi sekuqala isiphepho.
“Sithe sesikamakhelwane ngathi uma ngibuka ekhaya ngabona kungasekho lutho. Ngitshele ebengihlezi nabo ukuthi umama usele endlini abasilekelele siyombheka hleze ucindezelekile,” kusho uNksz Buthelezi ngosizi.
UNKSZ Velephi Mncube olimale ebusweni kuhlasela isiphepho eMpolweni. Isithombe: Leon Lestrade/ANA
Uthe balale komakhelwane kanti abazi bazokwenza njani ngoba kuwe insika yekhaya.
“Umama ubengasebenzi, esizamela ngoba besingalali singadlile. Ubenza ngakho konke okusemandleni ukusiphilisa siyizingane zakhe,” kusho uNksz Buthelezi othe usale nakugqokile emuva kwesiphepho.
Bude buduze nalo mndeni esigodini eMvundweni kushone uMnuz Siphelele Ndlovu (40).
Ngokusho kukanina, uNkk Thunyeliwe Ndlovu (63) bebehleIi bebathathu endlini ngesikhathi bezwa umoya omkhulu uhambisana nemvula enamandla.
“Ngisukume ngaqonda ekamelweni ngiyogqoka ijezi. Sengisekamelweni ngizwe umsindo omkhulu wento ewayo obuqhamuka egunjini ebengisuka kulona. Ngibuye ngokushesha ngiyobheka ngafica uphahla nodonga lwendlu sekuwile kwacindezela uSphe kwalimala onyaweni umakhelwane ebesihleli naye,” kusho uNkk Ndlovu.
Uthe bazamile ukususa izitini nothayela obekumcindezele umufi kwasho khona ukuthi amandla akanawo walinda isiphepho sadlula wabe eseyocela usizo komakhelwane.
Wonke umuzi wakwaNdlovu ongamagumbi amahlanu udilikile. Izolo bebepequlula ezaleni abasengakwazi ukukusebenzisa.
UNkk Velephi Mncube ulimale ebusweni ngemuva kokuwelwa yindlu abehleli kuyona nomyeni wakhe uMnuz Velaphi Mncube ohamba ngesihlalo esinamasondo.
“Indlu iwe siphakathi. Ngishaywe yinto engingabonanga ukuthi yini ngabona sengopha. Ngiye esibhedlela ngayothungwa ebusweni. Wonke umuzi wethu wamagumbi amathathu uwile. Silale komakhelwane isimo singesihle neze. Asazi sothathani sihlanganise nani ngoba asisenalutho,” kubalisa uNkk Mncube.
Kamakhelwane kwaMncube kudilike umuzi wonke obungamagumbi amathathu.
UMnuz Andile Ntuli uthe kuqhamuke ifu elikhulu elimnyama lihambisana nomoya onamandla nemvula.
Uthe babaleke bangena endlini eyakhiwe ngezitini sekuqala isiphepho.
“Sicashe ngetafula kukubi. Sizwe kuqhuma umsindo omkhulu emuva kwalokho kwacima ugesi. Njengamanje asinalutho,” kusho uNtuli.
Izolo uNdunankulu wesifundazwe uMnuz Sihle Zikalala, uNgqongqoshe woMnyango wezokuBusa ngokuBambisana neziNdaba zoMdabu uMnuz Sipho Hlomuka nowezeziMali uMnuz Ravi Pillay bahambele le ndawo beyohlola umonakalo odalekile bekhalisana nemindeni eshonelwe nelinyalelwe yizihlobo zayo.
Ngokwesitatimende esikhishwe wuMnyango wezokuBusa ngokuBambisana, abathintekayo bathuthelwe emahholo nakwezinye izakhiwo zomphakathi okubalwa kuzo namasonto kanti kunamathimba eminyango ehlukene ahlola umonakalo alekelela nabakhahlamezekile.
Esitatimendeni abakwa-Eskom baveze ukuthi bangu-3 906 abantu abasale bengenawo ugesi eMpolweni ngemuva kwesiphepho.
Bathe basebenza ngokuzikhandla ukulungisa ingqalasizinda ehlinzeka lezi zindawo ugesi ecekeleke phansi.
Uthe lokhu kuzothatha isikhashana ngoba bafuna ukwenza isiqiniseko ukuthi izintambo eziphakela ugesi ziphephile ngaphambi kokuthi bawukhanyise.