/ 5 March 2007

Klerksdorp clean-up under way

The Stilfontein police dog unit used a winch to put a caravan back on its wheel after it was thrown about 20m during Sunday’s freak storm at Klerksdorp.

The caravan was on the property of the Winner Chapel, a division of the Full Gospel Church, in Jouberton township.

It was one of at least three places of worship damaged by the storm on Sunday afternoon.

The township Presbyterian church was filled with rubble after the wall collapsed and the roof blew off.

A 78-year-old woman was killed during a service in the church.

The acting Premier of North West, Reverend OJ Tselapedi, toured Jouberton on Monday.

According to official figures, 1 600 households were damaged in Sunday’s freak storm, which left three people dead and 300 injured.

The injured, among them a three-year-old boy, were being treated in local hospitals.

The situation was compounded by an electricity blackout, making it difficult for emergency services to carry out rescue missions in other affected areas.

Matlosana municipality spokesperson Sandy Botha said on Monday that power lines were lying on the ground and water pipes had been damaged.

”We also have to make sure people can be fed,” she said.

On Monday morning, residents were seen drying out their household possessions and repairing their roofs.

Sheets of mangled corrugated iron lay strewn all over the township.

Steve Senyane, principal of Akofang Primary School, said much of the iron littered about the grounds, among uprooted trees, had blown in from outside the school property.

The school itself suffered damaged classrooms, with one block having lost its roof.

”A few kids arrived for school this morning but I sent them home,” said Senyane.

Officials of the public works department have been checking to see how safe the school was. — Sapa