Load-shedding destroyed our house – family claims
Luckily, they were not injured but the fire destroyed everything.
Five members of a Mamelodi East family are left with only the clothes on their backs after their house caught fire recently.
The Ledwaba family in Mamelodi East ext. 4 blamed load-shedding for the fire that gutted their five-roomed house.
Peter Ledwaba (65) said he is struggling to fix his house three weeks after it perished in the fire.
He said his house caught fire on September 24 but luckily no one was home at the time.
“I was a few blocks away doing handy jobs in the community when it was announced that load-shedding will start at 14:00,” said Ledwaba.
He said when he got home, he switched off all the power points in the house as he was scared that, should the electricity come on, it would damage his electric appliances.
“When the power was restored, I told one of my grandchildren to switch on the fridge but she came back running saying the house was on fire,” said Ledwaba.
He said he rushed home where community members had already gathered with water buckets trying to put out the fire, but they were too late as fire had already spread to the roof.
Ledwaba said luckily, they were not injured but the fire destroyed everything in the house, including electrical appliances and furniture.
Daughter Fiona Ledwaba said when she saw smoke in the air she did not know her home was on fire.
She said the community has helped by putting up a new roof and plastering, but there is a lot more that needs to be done to fix the house.
“We lost everything we owned in a matter of minutes,” said Fiona.
She said that they desperately need clothes for a one-year-old baby, clothes and school uniform for an eight-year-old boy, and clothes for her father, as well as furniture and windows.
“I am glad everyone is safe. The fire was too strong, no one could have salvaged anything from the house,” said Ledwaba, adding that the department of social development had given them family food parcels, blankets and mattresses.
Local councillor Collen Marishane donated bags of cement and promised to return to see where he could help further.
They are now living in the backyard rooms while the house is being fixed.
Anyone who wishes to assist can contact Peter Ledwaba on 066 597 3893.
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