RDP house catches fire in Msholozi

The Magagula family is in need of help to fix their RDP house after a fire that was caused by an iron that was left on on Tuesday, June 3. The mother of two boys, Precious Magagula (35), was at work in Stonehenge when she received the devastating call at about 12:00.

“I thought of my children while I rushed home. Questions lingered in my mind – were they inside, what caused the fire and where will we go? I found some community members assisting the emergency fire services with their water buckets,” she said.

Her neighbour, Militant Muller, said he noticed the fire at midday, and called the fire department and White River police for assistance. Magagula said she left her sons, aged 11 and 16, around 05:30 to commute to Mbombela for work. She is a domestic worker.

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They left for school at 06:40. The police confirmed that the fire was started by an iron that was left on. “Crying does not help. The children did not leave the iron on on purpose; they are still young. I can see that they have been affected by the incident. They blame themselves,” she said.

According to Magagula, there was no important documentation or clothes that burnt. The most affected items are food, the fridge, television, roof and the walls.

Their clothes were mostly affected by the smoke. The house needs a deep clean and the windows need to be repaired as soon as possible. She said she had just bought groceries for the month and has no idea where she will get money for more.

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“We live in a house that was built by the government. It will be difficult for me to fix all of the damage. We need paint, and to restore the roof and power,” she said. Magagula is asking for assistance with food items, window repairs, wall paint and psychological help for the children.

To assist the family, contact 079 188 9515 or 078 858 7274.