By Bahle Gama
The country was battered by a storm on Monday night, leaving a trail of destruction that will cost an arm and leg to repair.
At around 6:30 p.m., what started as a drizzle escalated into a heavy storm that caused an electricity blackout in all parts of the capital city and surrounding areas.
Damages were reported in areas like Msunduza, Fonteyn, Ezulwini and Mbabane. In Msunduza, property was severely damaged and roofing had been stripped off some buildings due to the storm.
Some businesses were forced to close earlier than their usual time due to the electricity blackout that lasted for about an hour and longer in some areas.
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Driving through some of the affected areas, trees were lying on the roads with darkness engulfing many areas. Drivers were forced to play chess as they navigated debris on the roads.
According to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Communications Officer Wandile Mavuso, information that was gathered as soon as the storm had calmed, was that around Mbabane, a church had been damaged in Fonteyn.
The damage in Fonteyn resulted in severe traffic which was reminiscent of peak hour bumper-to-bumper gridlock of the infamous N1 freeway from Pretoria to Johannesburg in neighbouring South Africa. The sound of electric chainsaws reverberated in the air as some people attempted to clear the debris and create access to their houses which had been blocked by fallen trees.
Trees were uprooted and they fell on electricity cables, resulting in blackouts. Other damages were observed at Luhlangotsini in Pigg’s Peak and at Nginamandvolo where the agency was told that property had been severely damaged.
“We currently have bits and pieces of information about the storm. People are calling and reporting what has happened in their areas. It is too early to give a conclusive report as we have yet to collect the data. I think by lunchtime tomorrow (Tuesday), we will know how much damage has been caused by the storm countrywide,” Mavuso said.
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Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager Khaya Mavuso said they too received several reports which were attended to immediately when the storm had passed.
“Yes, we had a minor fault on feeder lines, and they have been resolved. In the event customers are still without power they can report to the EEC 24-hour call centre for assistance,” Khaya said.
The restored feeder lines include substations at Nkoyoyo, Ngwenya one and two, Siphocosini, Usuthu, Mankayane, and Malkerns.
It could not be ascertained how much the damage from the storm would cost to repair. The country has seen severe storms in the past few months that have caused significant property damage. Leading to the local elections, the country experienced a severe storm that resulted in damage to property and infrastructure.
The storm also resulted in delays to voting as some stations were damaged and power was unavailable for the machines to operate.
There were other hailstorms in November and December that resulted in damage to cars, houses and infrastructure. Following the December hailstorm, Lidwala Insurance said it has recorded a total of 161 claims with a total assessed amount of E11.3 million from October 26, 2023.
Lidwala Insurance Managing Director Dr Thokozani Nkambule said that the 161 claims were payable claims, with 97 per cent of them being motor claims and the balance being between homeowners and agriculture.