Kids’ school goods lost in fire
The muffled cries of a distraught mother could be heard in the midst of banging noises as neighbours rummaged through the burnt-out remains of her eight-room home in Airport Valley on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, it was meant to be the first day back at school for Nomfuneko Raqowa’s two children, Anelisa, 19, and Zikhona, 11.
Anelisa starts grade 10 at Walmer High School, while her younger brother Zikhona is a grade 4 pupil at Settlers Park Primary.
“My children have been left with nothing – their school fees, uniforms and stationery all got burnt in the fire,” Raqowa, 53, sobbed, as neighbours tried to console her.
“I feel so bad because I bought their things [for school] on Saturday. Now look, all of those things have burnt, along with everything else. My heart is broken.”
Raqowa said she was met by the devastating scene after coming back from work at around midday on Tuesday.
“Someone in the area called me to say my house is burning so I asked my boss to give me a lift home. I can’t believe it. What am I going to do now?”
Vuyisani Silumko, a community leader in Walmer township, was one of the first people on the scene.
“Me and three other guys only managed to save three couches because the fire was too strong,” he said.
Glenda Brunette, founder of the Walmer Angels project, said: “It is important to get a roof over the children’s heads so that they can go back to school. We call on anyone wanting to clothe a child to contact me.”