/ 21 December 2006

Housing minister to visit E Cape tornado disaster area

Eastern Cape provincial housing minister Sam Kwelita will visit tornado-ravaged Dutyini village to find out what help is needed, his office said on Wednesday.

About 20 people were injured and more than 100 people from 65 families were left homeless when 85 households were destroyed or badly damaged by the tornado at Dutyini near Mount Ayliff on Sunday.

Kwelita would meet government officials and Alfred Nzo district municipality councillors and visit the affected areas from Friday, said his spokesperson Mbulelo Linda.

”According to a preliminary report released to the department by the Alfred Nzo disaster management unit, recovery and reconstruction are needed in the fields of housing, electricity, telephone lines and food supply. A local church was also destroyed,” said Linda.

The municipal disaster management team has been at the scene since Sunday.

”Victims have been provided with tents, blankets, clothes, food and sponge mattresses.

”By Monday, the Department of Home Affairs began a process of registering all those who lost their documents. Social development is also assisting with registering children for the child support grant.”

Linda said his department’s housing branch acting general manager, William Perks, would go with Kwelita to discuss making emergency housing funds available. – Sapa