Hoedspruit residents quick response saves farmer’s home
A farmer in Hoedspruit could possibly have lost a fortune if the community had not come to his rescue, after a fire ravaged his home last Wednesday.
According to the owner of Grovedale Farm and Amigo Amango Boedery, Tienie Loubser, the fire apparently started when he had contracted work to a private company based in White River to seal his roof.
‘They used a gas flame to seal the sealant and this is apparently how the fire started around midday,’ said Loubser.
The family lost a lot of valuable items including the children’s medals and trophies which could not be replaced.
Loubser would like to thank the community for their quick response.
According to him, if it wasn’t for their help, the whole house would have burnt down and all his belongings would have been lost.
Hoedspruit Farm-watch, Pieter Papsdorf, said that apparently sparks flew off and ignited the inside of the roof, only later did they see there was smoke billowing out.
‘A lot of people came to help with some local farmers who had brought their own fire trucks to help stop the fire, which could have burnt down the whole house,’ said Papsdorf.
Papsdorf said he did not see the fire department’s truck, only the military fire department which arrived much later, but the fire was already contained at that time.
‘Apparently the owner had valuable paintings in the house and it was filled with precious antique furniture, plus he had a massive sound system,’ said Papsdorf.
When the Mopani District Municipality spokesperson Neil Shikwabana was asked about the whereabouts of the fire station personnel last Tuesday and Wednesday, he said the workers had laid down tools after they had not received their overtime.
‘The staff members stayed away from their duties after they were not financially compensated for their overtime, but after the management intervened, some workers reported for duty on Wednesday and eventually things were back to normal,’ said Shikwabana.
An internal audit was called to verify the financial status regarding the workers overtime hours.
Shikwambana said, although the workers were complaining about their pay, the closing of the station was unnecessary, as it caused a massive problem for the community who rely heavily on their services.
The station has faced numerous problems in the past, but Shikwabana said they were now addressing the situation on how to improve services in the area.
‘There are shortages of equipment and staff at the station which the municipality have now prioritized,’ concluded Shikwambana.
