Family grapples with agony of mysterious fire
FEBRUARY 3, 2022 will remain etched in the hearts of a family from Mutare’s Morningside suburb for a long time after a mysterious fire razed down its home.
The family is still battling to come to terms with the sad loss it suffered following the inferno that left them homeless.
The property owner, Mrs Beauty Mangweni (65), together with her daughter and her seven-months-old baby escaped unhurt, but property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed in the flames.
Mystery
The cause of the fire could not immediately be established.
Mrs Mangweni said they had reported the incident to the power utility, Zesa, which is in the process of investigating it to ascertain what could have triggered the fire.
However, The Manica Post understands that a day before the incident, the family found granules of soil on the floor along the wall whose origin was not clear.
A sofa in the lounge had also mysteriously caught fire from an unknown source before it was put out. It was not clear, however, if the fire that eventually destroyed the house the following day was linked to the bizarre occurrences of the previous day.
“We do not know how the fire started or where it could have come from and we are still waiting for the investigations being done by Zesa to determine what caused the inferno,” said Mrs Mangweni, adding: “My daughter alerted me that there was a smell of something burning in the house and while we were trying to make out what was going on we realised that the house was on fire.”
Painful loss
The fire caused extensive damage to the eight-roomed property, reducing it to a shell. Household property, clothes, blankets, food stocks and other valuables all went up in smoke. Her daughter who is a gym enthusiast also lost some apparatus in the inferno.
The rubbles still lie strewn in the house and are yet to be cleared.
Mrs Mangweni said they are yet to ascertain the total value of the destroyed property.
She said: “We could hardly salvage anything from the fire. From the lounge where the fire started, it spread to other rooms and the rest of the house caught fire before the roof caved in.”
Neighbours and well-wishers, added Mrs Mangweni, rushed to the scene and battled to put out the raging flames using hose-pipes before the Mutare City Council’s Fire Brigade arrived.
Agony
That the fire broke out with only the three of them at the house was a frightening experience. It left the elderly Mrs Mangweni shaken and traumatised.
“In the heat of the moment, I did not know what exactly to do. I could not immediately react to what was going on until neighbours came and called the Fire Brigade while trying to douse the flames. Acting out of intuition, I grabbed my grandchild, jumped out of the house and managed to scurry to safety,” she said.
Her heart sank as she could only helplessly watch the flames engulf her house and reduce their belongings to ashes.
“It was a heart-rending experience. I had worked my entire life to put up a decent property for my family and it has come to this. I am a retired teacher and had used part of the retirement package to improve this place and it is agonising how things have turned out,” said the widow as she struggled to hold back her emotions.
Road to recovery
While it may be difficult to accept what has befallen her family, Mrs Mangweni is picking up the pieces. Although she is still counting the losses, the long and arduous journey to recovery is just starting.
Mrs Mangweni said she is finding a shoulder to lean on in relatives, friends, neighbours and well-wishers who continue consoling her every day.
Their prayers, soothing words and helping hand are proving therapeutic as she is finding solace in them.
During the interview with the news crew, her phone was busy as she took calls from people checking on her.
There were also walk-ins as people visited the Mangweni residence to offer their moral support and boost her morale. Mrs Mangweni remains grateful for the gift of life as the incident did not turn fatal.
“We thank God that the fire broke out in the morning when we were awake, otherwise nobody knows what could have happened had this happened at night while we were asleep. We are grateful to be alive and continue praying every day for abundant grace.”
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