ADVERTISEMENT:

 
 

Ms Ester Muleba sits near the window frames recovered from her house.

Victims of fire angry at municipality

 

When a family’s house is gutted by fire and they are left without shelter, food and water, the least they can expect is some help from the local municipality.

The Muleba family from Magau village are disappointed and angry with the Makhado Municipality after the municipality allegedly failed to extend help to them. Their nine-room house was gutted by fire after a suspected electrical malfunction on Thursday evening.

Neighbours tried to help save the furniture and other indoor items, but in vain. The ward councillor, Martha Babadu, was alerted and she visited the affected family the same day.

“She assessed our plight and noted down all our needs, which included shelter, food, clothes and water, but by Monday no sign of any help from the municipality had come our way,” said Ms Ester Muleba. “We were squatting in our neighbours' house who also didn’t have enough room for themselves.”

Muleba contacted the municipality on Monday and a tattered tent was delivered to her yard. “I got so furious after realising the kind of inhumanity that the municipality displayed,” said Muleba's son, Mr Khuliso Muleba. “They drove back and returned some time later with one that was somewhat better than the first one, but still this tent has huge holes on the corners through which passersby can see us from outside.”

Khuliso said that he failed to understand why the municipality had a disaster department because it was not helping. “Does the municipality really understand the term ‘disaster’ and what kind of response is required for a disaster incident?” he asked. “We are in great pain and frustrated after losing everything in the fire, but the municipality is rubbing salt in our wounds.”

A media inquiry was sent to Makhado Municipality’s spokesperson, Mr Louis Bobodi, who promised to get back after consulting with the relevant offices within the municipality.

The Mulebas' house was gutted by fire.

Children move around in the rubble of what remains of the Mulebas' house.

 

Date:16 September 2017

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Read: 1168

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

ADVERTISEMENT:

ADVERTISEMENT:

 

Recent Articles

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Popular Articles