Two west families lose everything in shack fire
"One of the families has five children and all their belongings were burnt to ashes."
Two families from Jeffsville in Atteridgeville were left destitute after their homes were gutted by fire on December 31.
The families had been away on holiday when both their homes caught fire.
No one knows how the fire started.
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The fire destroyed everything, including school uniforms, birth certificates and clothes.
One of the people who lost their belongings in the fire, Sofie Hamfriz, said she was in Bloemfontein when she was alerted by neighbours who informed her that her shack caught fire and everything in it had burnt down.
“There’s nothing left,” she said.
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Hamfriz said she and her children were now forced to stay with neighbours because they do not have a place to stay.
“I’m unemployed; I’m pleading for help from anyone who can assist.
“I would appreciate any donations including school uniforms, clothes because we only have the clothes we went to Bloemfontein with. The child who was left behind at the time of the incident has nothing at all. Any donations will be much appreciated.”
Chairperson of Dipeu Tsa Tshwane community leader Samuel Masilela said the community was devastated by what happened.
“One of the families has five children and all their belongings were destroyed. The mother is not employed. In the other family, the father stays with his two children but at least he is employed.
“This is very sad. We have tried to get food for them at local spaza shops so that they can have something to eat.”
Masilela said they have since asked neighbours of both the families to accommodate them until they found materials to rebuild their homes.
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“We as community leaders will try by all means to make sure there is food. We are also trying to get clothes.
“We want to involve other organisations that we work with so that we can be able to build for them as soon as possible.”
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