Family loses everything in fire

KNYSNA NEWS - To say the Miana family has had their fair share of misfortune is an understatement. The Khayalethu-based family recently lost everything when their house and adjacent wooden shack went up in flames - for the second time in eight years.

In 2014 their family home burnt down and the Gift of the Givers Foundation helped build a new RDP house on the location of the old house.

Eight years later, on 14 June 2022, disaster struck once more, destroying everything they had.

According to Knysna Municipality spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt, the Knysna Fire and Rescue Services responded to a call about a structural fire shortly before 14:30. "The blaze was brought under control with the help of six firefighters and three fire engines," he indicated. No injuries were sustained during the fire but the wooden shack was completely destroyed and significant damage was done to the RDP house that had been built only eight years before. "The area was declared safe at about 17:40."

When they could survey the damage and count their losses, the family found that their time would have been better spent tallying up what had in fact survived the fire.

"Everything was completely destroyed, it all burned, we have nothing left," said Nobonke Miana. "It's the second time this has happened to us now and we just can't believe it." One of very few items that survived the blaze was a CD holder, but the house was otherwise left in absolute ruin.

There is very little left of the old wooden structure.

In the aftermath of the fire the family received assistance from Knysna Municipality who built a wooden structure on the site of their old one - which was also the origin of the fire.

"We do not know what caused the fire, but we know that it started here [in the shack]," said Nobonke's daughter, Pretty. It however doesn't mean that the family can move back to their home yet. Explained Nobonke:

"We still need it to be serviced with water and electricity, and we also don't have any furniture or anything left after the fire so we have to stay with a family friend at the moment."

The new wooden structure sits in the shadow of the remains of the RDP house, which now serves as a stark and heart-breaking reminder of tragedy striking the same family twice.

Nobonke Miana leans on the structural remains of her house.