A rainstorm left a trail of destruction in its wake, damaging houses and structures and uprooting trees in Katima Mulilo and the surrounding areas.

The storm that hit on Tuesday caused widespread damage to homes in Mafuta, Namalubi, and Lisikili.

In the three areas, some homes were reduced to rubble as the corrugated iron sheets were blown away, leaving many families without shelter while their personal items were soaked.

One of the affected individuals is Simata Munali, a resident of Mafuta settlement. He narrated what happened, saying, “The roof of my house was blown away, and the cost is about N$70,000. These roofing sheets were still new; I was still building. The wall of my house also collapsed. We are still in November, but the rain resembles that of January. We therefore have to be prepared for more challenging times.”

Another affected resident is Ndubu Sibeya. She said that “My house collapsed, and my contents are all soaked. All is lost; all our food got wet. We do not know how we will survive under these conditions. We request the government’s assistance.”

In Mpola village, located in the Namalubi area, residents who received seven tents after the previous storm found that all of them collapsed during the latest storm.

“We had no option but to stand the whole night. It was pouring, and our belongings were wet. Our children’s books and other documents got soaked, and some could not even go to school.”

Authorities have been informed, and Kabbe North Constituency councillor Bernard Sisamu confirmed knowledge of the situation even beyond the areas our news team visited.

The government provided assistance in the form of tents earlier, but more assistance is needed.