Disabled girl, 10, saved in shack fire
Brother, 15, with neighbours’ help, carry out heroic deed
AS TEMPERATURES climbed into the 30s yesterday, residents of Newrest informal settlement in Nyanga set about rebuilding their homes which were destroyed in a fire, leaving more than 70 people destitute.
The cause of Saturday’s fire remains unknown.
Nomsa Maholo said her 15-year-old son, assisted by neighbours, managed to rescue his disabled 10-year-old sister, Olwethu, from the blaze.
“My son said he heard people screaming that there was a fire. He thought of his disabled sister and wanted to run into the shack when he saw smoke coming out of the roof.
“Neighbours helped him to open the door so that he could take his sister out.
“It’s so dangerous to stay in a place like this, especially with a disabled child. My daughter would have been injured or dead by now if her brother was not around.
“She can’t walk because she’s got a problem with her legs.”
Nokwandisa Ncukuthwana, 46, blamed the recent fires on illegal connections.
She said it was the sixth fire in Newrest that had taken place as a result of “electricity box explosions”.
“There’s nothing that can be done to stop the fires in our area because we have electricity problems.
“There are about 10 shacks using electricity from one box and most fire incidents are caused by the electricity box explosions.
“We are all traumatised in this area because of these fire incidents.
“Every time we smell burning, we quickly run outside to check what is it, even in the middle of the night, because we don’t want to burn inside our shacks,” she said.
Unemployed resident Nandipha Ngwadla, 23, said she had already bought her two children clothes to wear on Christmas, but these went up in flames.
“I cannot even explain how I’m feeling right now, I just feel like crying so hard. “I am so confused, I don’t even know where am I going to get money to buy them clothes again because I used every cent I had to buy my childrens’ clothes.
“They are only left with the clothes they are wearing now. I don’t even have money to buy them bread.”
Another 70 families were also left destitute by a fire in Dunoon yesterday. Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Theo Layne said the causes of the fires were still undetermined.
“There were no injuries or fatalities in both Newrest and Dunoon informal settlements. The causes of the fires are still under investigation.”
IT’S SO DANGEROUS TO STAY IN A PLACE LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH A DISABLED CHILD