Mabopane family still stranded two weeks after fire guts home

It has been more than two weeks since a house in Mabopane block A caught fire leaving a family of six homeless.

Family members recently told Rekord that besides nearly losing their 83-year-old mother, picking up the pieces and starting over was hard.

“The fire affected us so much because we no longer have a place to stay. I had to take my mother to our relatives in Mpumalanga. I could not cope after the incident and could not sleep, but I had to be strong for the children,” said owner Glory Manana.

Manana (40) said the fire started around 08:00 when gogo Maria Gama (83) was making food in the kitchen.

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“The fire, whose cause is unknown, started in the bedroom. The fire burnt all our belongings and it burnt my mother’s hands. The incident affected us as we were left homeless,” said Manana.

Manana said that since the fire broke out, they have had to seek shelter from friends and relatives.

“We had nowhere else to go. Fortunately, some of our relatives and friends have helped us. We have also received help from social workers from the department of social development who offered us food parcels, but that is not enough,” said Manana.

“Residents also stepped in to assist with food and clothes.”

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The principal of Keneilwe Lerato, the crèche attended by two of Manana’s children, Erica Moema was so touched by the ordeal that she took to social media to ask for help

“Anything could help at the moment as they have lost everything in the fire.”

The stranded family is willing to accept anything that could be of help in this difficult time that they are faced with,” said Moema.

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