KNYSNA NEWS - More than six weeks after SANParks said it was consulting its legal team about the future of the storm-damaged houses in Farleigh, two families are still living beneath damaged roofs while waiting for answers.

These families, whose ageing wooden homes were damaged during the strong winds in May, say they have yet to receive any indication of when, or if, any permanent repairs will be carried out. In the meantime, winter has tightened its grip, leaving them to battle the cold with little more than temporary protection.

Following a media enquiry on 26 May, SANParks responded that it was consulting internally, including with its legal team, "to obtain the necessary guidance and ensure that an informed response is provided. We will revert as soon as the consultation process has been concluded."

More than six weeks later, no further response has been received.

According to community activist Priscilla Lukas, the situation has become increasingly desperate for the affected families. "These two families simply don't have the money to repair the roofs themselves," she said.

She said only two of the roof sheets blown off during the storm could be recovered, while the remainder were damaged beyond repair.

One of the affected households includes an eight-year-old child, and the cold has become so severe that one family was forced to move in temporarily with some neighbours.

"The winter weather is taking a toll on their health as well," Lukas said. "When people become ill because of the cold, they also have to find money for medicine, which places even more strain on the households already struggling financially."

SANParks provided a canvas for one of the families to cover the section of their roof where the sheets had been blown away. While grateful for the assistance, Lukas said it was only a temporary measure. "A canvas is not a roof," she said. "These families need certainty. Even if SANParks cannot carry out the repairs immediately, they deserve an explanation and a clear indication of what the way forward will be."

Lukas said the residents feel they have been left in the dark. "They keep hearing that consultations are taking place, but nothing seems to change. People are not asking for miracles. They simply want answers and to know what the future holds."

For now, the families remain in limbo, hoping that before another cold front arrives, someone will provide more than a temporary cover against the winter weather.

At the time of going to press, SANParks had not provided any further response to the media queries first submitted on 26 May, despite indicating that it would revert once its internal consultation process had been concluded. Another media enquiry, sent on 8 July, has also gone unanswered.

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