HELP FOR YOUNG HERO WHO RESCUED CHILD FROM FIRE
Badly burnt fire survivor’s plight grips the hearts of well-wishers
Ayoung man who risked his life to save his younger brother from a disastrous fire has so touched the hearts of members of the community that they have resolved to keep helping him as long as possible.
After surviving a fire which took two lives, the 14-year-old boy, Vuyolwethu Cotsheni, continuously receives various kinds of support as he is gradually recovering from his burns.
Cotsheni sustained severe burns when he rushed into a house to help a crying child.
Cotsheni’s plight has led to several Samaritans keeping a close eye and seeing to his needs.
He still attends hospital three times a week, even months after the incident took place.
According to community development worker Nollie Mani, Cotsheni sustained severe burns in the house fire on May 2.
“There was a house burning. Cotsheni heard a child crying inside the house and he went in to rescue the child. The child was saved and is okay now,” Mani said. Two people, a grandfather and child, died in the fire.
Had Cotsheni not braved the flames to rescue his younger brother he too would probably have died.
Cotsheni’s body and head are still covered with bandages as the treatment continues.
Child Welfare representative Lizzy Sandlana together with ward 9 Councillor Mbulelo “Stwiga” Njibana and his associates coincidentally met at Cotsheni’s home at Emgogogweni in ward 8 to offer their support.
Child Welfare’s support came in the form of food packages while Njibana and some associates raised an amount of R1,000.
Sandlana said even though Cotsheni’s situation was a social development issue rather than a Child Welfare responsibility, the latter organisation saw the need to intervene to establish where they could possibly help.
She indicated that they would follow up on Cotsheni’s social grant support.
Njibana and his associates were pushed by the desire to help even though the victim belongs to a different ward.
Njibana said a woman who is associated with Cotsheni’s mother told him about the brave young man’s situation.
“We went to Port Alfred Hospital on Mandela Day to give Cotsheni some gifts. So when we were at the hospital we promised to come back again,” he said.
“On November 1 we did a car-wash fundraising, selling tickets. We managed to raise this amount of money,” he said.
Cotsheni’s mother, Ntambozi Cotsheni, indicated that she was deeply touched by the help given to her son. She was so overcome that she was unable to even utter her words of appreciation.