Download PDFThe community of Mnandini in Tshepisong West has struggled with the rain that has lasted the whole week. The rain has brought residents’ daily lives to a standstill, causing disruptions and difficulties.
Mnandini is an informal settlement, and the community members have been worried about how the rain has affected their area. Small businesses were severely affected, and they were unable to operate properly due to them not having proper infrastructure, and many residents rely on these small businesses to feed their families. The week-long rain disrupted the community, causing flooding in low-lying areas, leaving the community in a desperate situation.
The electricity in the community was also affected by the rain. Because the area is still developing, some houses don’t have electricity connections and they are connected to other blocks that have electricity underground, and when it rains the electricity turns off and sometimes when people pass by the fences or under those wires they get shocked.
Kelly Mabunda (38) a resident in Mnandini says that she loves the rain, it helps grow her vegetables, but the way it has been raining it has affected their lives badly and they are unable to wash their clothes. Mabunda continues to say that since they have young children, it is hard to let them play outside because the roads are flooded and children might drown.
The community is also very concern about the school children who walk to school when it rains. Some schools are very far away, by the time learners arrive at schools, they are cold and sick. The community members also says it is very dangerous for their children to walk and cross bridges as water is constantly rising.
Simphiwe Sithole, a 14 year old school learner, says it’s hard for him to get to school on rainy days. Sithole says it has been raining heavily for days, and it has affected him since he walks to school, and his parents can’t afford to pay for school transport. The 14 year old says he faces another challenge when it rains, because the electricity often goes off leaving their phone batteries low and he struggles to keep track of time as he uses a phone to check the time, he explained.
As the rain continues to pour life has become difficult for the residents of Mnandini. They must avoid crossing river streams that they normally use, and instead walk long distances, getting wet and risking sicknesses like arthritis. Motorists are also struggling, their usual roads are flooded and slippery making them unsafe to drive on and there’s mist that reduces visibility. This causes accidents and traffic and it makes it hard for people who are rushing to work. So the motorist are using these low-lying roads to avoid such.
The community of Mnandini is looking forward to the rain to stopping, so that they can have a peace of mind and continue doing their daily activities with ease.
This article was submitted on 25 February 2025. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.\
