Flora Park family loses home as fire dept arrives too late
A retired professor's home, rare books, and Robben Island records were destroyed in a fire as Polokwane firefighters reportedly took over 40 minutes to respond.
POLOKWANE – A Flora Park family lost their home and decades of treasured possessions in a devastating fire last Sunday, with growing concerns over the response time of the Polokwane Municipality fire department after firefighters reportedly arrived more than 40 minutes later.
Retired university professor Rachidi Molapo believes much of the damage could have been prevented had emergency services responded sooner.
“It is lacking care for people and being sluggish about their work,” Molapo said while standing among the ruins of the family home on Cohen Street.
Fire broke out while family was away
The fire broke out last Sunday morning while the Molapo family attended a church service in Marshall Street, just minutes away from their home.
A mechanic had stayed behind at the property to work on the family vehicle.
Witness accounts
An e-hailing driver, identified only as Rembuluwani, noticed smoke rising from the back of the house while driving past. He saw bedroom windows shattering and curtains catching fire before rushing to alert the mechanic and seek assistance.
According to witnesses, repeated calls to the municipal fire department went unanswered.
Rembuluwani eventually contacted police, who undertook to alert firefighters. By then, the flames had already spread rapidly through the house.
The Molapo family, whose insurance had lapsed, rushed home after receiving a call from the mechanic and contacted the fire department on their way.
They were informed that help was on the way, but when they arrived at the scene no fire engines had yet arrived.
Neighbours also claimed they attempted to contact firefighters without success.
By the time emergency crews eventually reached the property, the roof had already collapsed. Only a bicycle and a lawnmower were saved from the blaze.
What was lost
The municipal value of the house structure is estimated at between R1.1m and R2m, while the contents of the home were destroyed.
Among the losses was Molapo’s private library containing rare books on history, philosophy, law, religion and economics collected over four decades.
His office for Kids Academy, a registered institution that trains early childhood development teachers, was also destroyed.
Three laptops, a desktop computer and irreplaceable career documents spanning 40 years, including records linked to his previous work at Robben Island, were reduced to ashes.
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, with forensic pathology investigators still expected to release a report.
Similar complaints after Seshego fire
The incident follows another house fire in Seshego Zone 3 two weeks ago, where residents also complained about delayed emergency response times.
In contrast, residents say a recent fire in Ladanna received a far quicker response due to the fire department’s proximity to the area.
Shortage of fire engines, deteriorating infrastructure
Sources within the fire department pointed to deeper systemic challenges, including a shortage of operational fire engines and deteriorating infrastructure.
Community steps in
Ward councillor Phaka Mmurwa, with the municipality’s disaster management unit, has since assisted the family with a temporary one-room zinc structure, blankets, mattresses, a lamp and clothing. Residents have also donated food, clothing and household items.
Social workers from the Department of Social Development visited the family on Monday to provide trauma counselling to the children, while a structural engineer is expected to assess whether any part of the house can still be salvaged.
Mmurwa appealed to businesses and individuals willing to provide professional or personal assistance to contact him on 082 518 2021.
Municipality responds
Responding to questions, Polokwane Municipality spokesperson Thipa Selala said fire-related property damage in Polokwane is primarily driven by non-compliance with safety regulations and municipal bylaws.
Selala stated that although the municipality faces staffing limitations, core firefighting equipment remains available and is regularly maintained.
He added that several factors continue to affect emergency response times, including the misuse of emergency numbers by the public, informal reporting channels and long geographical distances to incidents.
According to Selala, the municipality has increased financial investment into emergency services, with more than R145m allocated for the period between July 2025 and June 2026, compared to R66.5m during the 2024/25 financial year – an increase of approximately R79.4m.
