Charmaine Boois 

ARANOS – Over 30 houses were destroyed in a severe rainstorm in Aranos on Tuesday night, leaving several families without homes. Some victims have found temporary shelter with relatives, while others are staying at the Roman Catholic Mission Church. 

Gavin Beukes, one of the affected residents, described the moment the storm struck . “It was raining heavily and the wind was so strong. 

My first instinct was to get my family to safety. We lost our possessions, and our zinc roof was blown off. It’s heartbreaking to see our home like this,” Beukes said. 

An emergency stakeholder meeting was held at the Aranos Town Council on Wednesday to assess the damage. Mayor Hans Bafrath acknowledged that the council needs to do more to strengthen the town’s infrastructure. 

“This is not a situation we were prepared for. As council we must take responsibility for how some houses were structured. 

The electricity poles were not properly reinforced, and we need to relook how to better the town’s infrastructure to prevent such damage in the future,” the mayor stated. 

Hardap Region Governor Riaan McNab urged the local leaders to focus on the immediate needs of the affected families. “I thank our heavenly Father that no lives were lost. Our next step is to assess the critical needs of the affected families and chart a clear way forward to ensure they receive the support they urgently need,” McNab said. 

Teams are currently conducting assessment s to compile a comprehensive report for the Office of the Prime Minister. -Nampa