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Several houses have been damaged in the Setlagole and Setlhwatlhwe villages, more than 70 kilometres outside Mahikeng, North West.
The damage is attributed to persistent inclement weather conditions, with several areas across the province experiencing strong winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms since Friday.
SEVERE WEATHER | A resident of Sethlwathlwe Village in North West is appealing to the community for help after strong winds damaged his home. pic.twitter.com/kDfT2ky1kd
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 5, 2026
Devastating weather condition has destroyed homes and left families stranded in some parts of the North West. Residents including Sabata Mmakgwana and Mantsho Abrams are now trying to pick up the pieces after their roofs were blown away.
“The house was badly damaged by strong winds last night. The roof and part of the wall were blown away, and our furniture and wardrobes were damaged by rain. No one in the household is employed. This is our late parents’ family home, and we live in Mahikeng. We are asking for help to repair the roof, as everything is now outside,” says resident Sabata Mmakgwana.
“It happened on Friday, at around 19h00. The strong winds came and blew off the roof and part of the wall. Not much was damaged, only some plates and windows. We were able to sleep in another room, but we were scared because of the rain. There was a lot of hail, and the rain started around four o’clock and continued throughout the night,” says another resident, Mantsho Abrams.
This while damage to infrastructure were reported across the province, says North West Department of Cooperative Governance spokesperson, Lerato Gambu.
“Our reports indicate that the Seriti Early Learning Centre in Khunwana, Kegomotse Primary School, and Kokomeng Primary School have been affected. We have also received reports of houses in Maquassi Hills and Mahikeng having been affected by heavy winds. We call on residents to be vigilant, exercise patience on our roads and reschedule any travel, to avoid low lying bridges and keep warm,” says Gambu.
Eskom has also reported power supply interruptions affecting parts of the North West such as Koster, Lichtenburg,Lehurutshe, Zeerust, Mmabatho and surrounding areas due to the current severe weather.
Eskom North West says several network lines have been affected, with restoration attempts hampered by immediate tripping. The power utility’s spokesperson Ezekiel Baruti says technical teams will continue with restoration work as soon as conditions are safe.
“Eskom has been able to restore supply on some of the lines and the teams are working around the clock to try and restore supply and stabilise the situation,” says Baruti.