Donations aid family after Mamelodi East fire
The community rallied to help the huge family after a fire destroyed their home and everything in it. A member of the MK Party criticised the local government for not having resources to help families when there is a disaster.
A family of 19 members in Mamelodi East received clothes, food, school uniforms, blankets and building materials on Tuesday.
A fire broke out and destroyed their home on February 4. Luckily, no lives were lost, but the family lost everything they owned, as well as ID documents and birth certificates. They only had the clothes they were wearing.
The Monyai family shared four shacks and a main house.
A family member, Mercia Monyai (39) from Tsakane in Mamelodi East, said she was fast asleep when her child, who was coming home from school, told her one of the shacks was on fire.
Monyai said she quickly closed the doors and windows of the main house and called for help. The community tried their best to put out the fire but it was already spreading to other shacks and moving towards the main house.
She could not explain how the shack caught fire, since they believed they switched off all electrical and other appliances.
“We have lost everything we owned, from clothes, furniture, school uniforms and we are left with only the clothes on our backs.”
MK Party secretary Mcmillan Pitje said, “We are here to support the family of Monyai.”
Pitje said one of the leadership in Ward 28 informed the Tshwane branch about the disaster.
“We immediately mobilised with our members and other organisations for donations to help the family.
“We have managed to donate clothes, school uniforms, blankets, cooking stoves, two beds and helped rebuild two shacks for the family,” said Pitje.
The Food Bank also came during the week to donate food for the family.
“This is not enough for a family where the majority are not unemployed and depend mostly on social grants.”
Pitje further said he was disappointed by the local government because it took political parties and other organisations to stand up and help the needy, while there is disaster.
“The government must have resources for disaster on regional level. They are supposed to act fast when there is a disaster in Mamelodi and other townships.”
He said Mamelodi has a lot of backyard rooms, mostly built with shacks that can turn into disaster anytime. There is no place to go when there is a disaster in Mamelodi.”
The Monyai family are desperate for more donations to rebuild their shack and start over again.
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