Riverplaats mother of three calls on community for help

Ms Janet Ndou, a single mother of three from Riverplaats, near Elim, is calling for help from community members after their four-room house inexplicably caught fire and everything they owned was destroyed on Tuesday, 12 July.

Ndou recalls seeing the burning house just as she and her young children arrived home at about 12:00 the afternoon. Fortunately, no-one was in the house at the time, but she still cannot explain how the fire could have started.

The unemployed woman said the situation left her feeling discouraged. “I could not believe my eyes when I saw that the house was burning. We tried to extinguish the fire while at the same time trying to call the police and firefighters, but the fire was very fierce,” she said.

People from the village gathered at the homestead, but they could do very little. When the firefighters arrived at the scene, they doused the flames. “Watching all of our belongings burn to ashes was very painful. Everything we owned was inside the house - the fridge, kitchen units, beds, TV, money, clothes, IDs, food and furniture. I don’t know what to do. Where do we go to? It is not safe for us to sleep in a tent as snakes and rats could get in, and the nights are very cold now,” Ndou cried.

She estimates the damage at approximately R400 000. “I’m asking community members to please assist. We would appreciate any kind of donations - food, clothing, building material, furniture, household utensils, anything. I will be pleased if someone could help me get a better place to stay,” she said.

Anyone who can assist the family can call 078 544 9041.

Date:24 July 2022

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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