Hailstorm leaves Matsiloje in despair

Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday November 30, 2017 18:07

 

When Mmegi team visited Matsiloje recently to witness the devastation that was caused by the heavy downpours that fell on Saturday night around 8pm, an atmosphere of gloom had enveloped households whose property was destroyed by the hailstorm.

Other villagers, though not directly affected by the storm, were also sympathetic to the plight that befell their neighbours. The nursery rhyme; ‘Rain, rain go away, come again another day’, may have been appropriate for the villagers of Mats City, as Matsiloje, a village located on the north eastern part of Botswana, is known by its inhabitants. The devastation caused by the storm is clear for anyone entering the village from Matopi, Zimbabwe, and Francistown to see.

Strewn pieces of corrugated iron sheets, uprooted trees, broken windows, destroyed or bent signposts, destroyed fields and business premises and dead animals are some of the distinguishable damage that one sees upon arrival in the village.

In synopsis, the scars and heartache caused by the hailstorm are more prominent features that one notices from the inhabitants of this quiet village.  Mmaselibe Ngwabi, a small livestock and poultry farmer, is one of the villagers left counting losses in the wake of the storm. Ngwabi lost 150 broiler chickens, two Setswana chickens and a goat to the hailstorm. With pain written all over her face, Ngwabi told Mmegi that it will be hard for her to raise money to replenish her stock.

“We usually anticipate rain to bring us good things, but after the recent hailstorm on Saturday, many of us wish it could not have rained at all,” said Ngwabi. Ngwabi’s woes were compounded by the fact that the walls of her house had collapsed on one side.  Another common feature in Matsiloje is the sight of men on rooftops of houses that bore the brunt of the devastating storm.

With building implements at hand, the men are busy fixing a cocktail of problems: leaking rooftops to rooftops that were partly blown away by the strong winds. Although the storm came with disastrous consequences to the villagers, it has not managed to break the spirit of oneness that villagers in Botswana are renowned for.

Had all things being normal, the men on rooftops could be making a killing from their services. But it became apparent that most of them are helping their neighbours and fellow villagers for a song and in some cases for free. One such benevolent villager is Lentikile Segopolo, a well-known builder in the village. Mmegi found him still fixing the thatch of a hut was destroyed by the wind.

“Were it not for the storm, I could be making a lot of money. I was overwhelmed by the devastation that befell my fellow villagers, hence I decided to help them. I don’t charge them any fee. I accept the little that they give me for my services,” he said, adding, “Yesterday, I helped an old woman whose rooftop was blown by the wind for free. There was no need to charge her. I just helped her so that when it rains again, she will have a place to sleep in”.  Segopolo’s rooftop, found some 500 metres from his house,  was also blown away by the wind.  His neighbour George Dube, a retired civil servant is also counting losses following the storm. The wall of his house has been destroyed by debris that was blown by the storm. The house is now a ticking tim- bomb since it is shaking and no longer stable.

“Personnel from Botswana Power Corporation only restored electricity at my place on Monday night. I am left with no choice, but to repair the damage that was caused by the storm from my savings,” a dejected Dube said.

Around the village, the storm’s devastating effects are clear as daylight. The storm had also blown the rooftop of the local primary school forcing classes to take place under trees in unbearable conditions. One of the popular bars in the village Kgalemalenyatso was also devastated by the storm.

Its roof was blown by the strong winds leaving customers who were enjoying themselves in the lurch. The councillor for Matsiloje, Flora Mpetsane said about 70 households were affected by the storm. She said those affected by the storm were given government assistance, which differed depending on the magnitude of the damage. “Some people were injured by debris during the storm and they were given medical attention. Some were given food baskets while others, whose homes are no longer habitable, were given tents,” Mpetsane said.