Fire leaves family destitute
A FEROCIOUS blaze opposite the Galeshewe police station yesterday left a city family destitute after the fire destroyed their home.
Neighbours heard screams at around lunchtime yesterday and went outside to discover that the shanty had caught alight.
“We do not know what sort of a fire this was, as it was burning for about an hour in these strong winds,” the neighbours said.
A next door neighbour, Odirile Moses, stated that a section of the shanty was already engulfed in flames when he went to investigate at around 1pm.
“The fire appeared to have started outside and within seconds the whole house had caught alight,” said Moses.
The daughter of the owner of the shack, Kelebogile Maritz, carried her seven-month-old baby on her back as she and a friend tried in vain to put out the fire.
“I was inside the yard and the fire seemed to have originated inside the house. My friend, Mary Baranye, and I tried for about 30 minutes to put out the fire with water from the free-standing tap, but the flames were too strong. We were looking for a garden hosepipe and eventually ran to the police station to seek help,” said Maritz.
She indicated that all the baby’s nappies, formula, clothes and clinic card were inside the house when it burnt to the ground.
“I do not know how I will take care of the baby.”
The owner of the shack, Gladys Hlapane, said that she received a phone call at about 1pm to inform her that her home was on fire.
“I am devastated. I do not know where my family and I will sleep. I felt uneasy the whole day and when I received the call at work I rushed home to find that everything was lost – my three television sets, my room divider and furniture.
“I have incurred thousands of rands of damage and I do not have any insurance ... I have been left with nothing but the clothes on my back.”
Hlapane stated that she had lived in the shanty for several years with her husband, daughters and grandchild.
The manager of Sol Plaatje emergency services, Riaan Janse van Vuuren, said yesterday that they were still investigating the cause of the fire.
Police spokesperson, Captain Bashoabile Kale, said that the Galeshewe police had opened an inquiry into the fire.
“No one was injured during the incident and there was no one inside the shanty at the time.”
Kale said that they had requested social workers to assist the family as they had lost everything in the fire.
He added that Maulana Veldsman and the SAPS Men for Change and Women’s Network had donated groceries, blankets, toiletries and nappies for the family and encouraged members of the public to also assist where possible.