Salome Biller's belongings, including wardrobes, beds, kitchen units, chairs and tables, were all soaked on Saturday, 30 January, after more heavy rains fell over the region.
Biller's house is among several other houses in Nancefield at Musina that were built in a low-lying area that is always wet. She said that she had tried to scoop out most of the water with buckets, but that she eventually just gave up because of the hopelessness of the situation.
According to a community leader, Mangalani Mudau, these residents were allocated RDP houses in Matswale extension 14 in 2018. He said that some of the beneficiaries, such as Biller, opted not to accept the offer, because these RDP houses were smaller and had fewer rooms than their houses in Nancefield.
The Limpopo Mirror paid a visit to Biller (55). "My house has seven rooms, and relocating to a smaller house in Matswale is going to create challenges for me. I acquired a lot of belongings that fit well in the seven rooms. If I relocate now, all my belongings will not fit in the four rooms in Matswale," she explained. "Staying at this place really is not pleasurable either. My furniture is damaged. We cannot enjoy our sleep. All the rooms are full of water."
According to Biller, the water comes from underground. The rooms are smelly, and the windows are kept open. "This has forced me to accept the offered RDP house in Matswale and relocate, but I cannot move to the new place until my brother has finished extending that house," Biller said.
During Limpopo Mirror's visit on Saturday, some of the residents were busy digging drainage trenches to make the water flow away from their homes. Residents claim that the place is a health hazard for children, as they always play with the dirty water around the homes.
Wilson Dzebu, spokesperson for Musina Municipality, responded to the media enquiry and said that the municipality was in discussions with the affected people to resolve their concerns.