Mncedisi Ngethu (42) and his family were sleeping when they were woken by flames and smoke. Ngethu couldn't save anything from his home. Everything they had ever owned burned to ashes in front of their eyes and there was nothing they could do to prevent it.
"When I saw the flames I woke my wife and the only thing that mattered was getting our kids out of the house before anything else. We took out our kids (aged two, four and six), we thought of going back to pick up a few things but it was too late," explained a sad Ngethu.
According to Ngethu and his wife, Nomfuneko (37) the fire started at the home of their next-door neighbour, Khayalakhe Motebele.
Motebele (32) said, "It was just after midnight when I got home. I switched on the lights, went to bed and switched them off again. A few minutes later there were flames at the top of the door and the plastic roofing was melting. I got up and tried to get out, but by that time drops from the melting roof were falling on me and literally melting into my skin."
According to Motebele, he burnt his arm knocking down the door in an attempt to get out of the house. He also suffered injuries to his face and back.
The Ngethu family managed to escape without injuries, but they lost everything they had worked hard for.
"It's going to be hard building the house from scratch, because we are both unemployed and our kids need clothes. My six-year-old girl's school uniform also got burnt and she doesn't have anything to wear to school. I did report it to the school so they don't chase her away for not wearing her school uniform," said Ngethu.
Both Ngethu and Motebele lost their identity documents in the fire; luckily Ngethu's wife's ID was with her sister, but the children's certificates got burnt.
According to Ngethu, the fire spread so fast that, when the fire fighters got there the houses were already burnt down. The fact that there is not a proper road to the houses also delayed the fire fighters.
The neighbourhood tried to put out the fire but all in vain.
"It was hard for people to go up to fetch water and come down to put out the fire. The nearest tap is approximately ten minutes away. Imagine carrying a 20-litre bucket in the dark, there is a good chance of falling with the water," said Ngethu.
The affected people went to the municipality and and were referred to collect building material to rebuild their houses.
In the meantime Ngethu and his family live with his wife's sister in Qolweni and Motebele lives with his older brother. Although Motebele and the Ngethu family have received some temporary help from Knysna's Disaster Fund, they are still in dire need of food, clothes, bedding, furniture, household goods and material to rebuild and insulate their homes against the rain and cold. If anyone can assist them, kindly contact Motebele 073 284 1834 and the Ngethu family at 078 884 0932.
A family in silent shock - Mncedisi Ngethu and his wife, Nomfuneko and children at the site where their home had gone up in flames on Friday night, August 31.
ARTICLE: NWABISA NCUDWANA
