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Still no relief for orphaned fire victims

Thabang Mabotja, 16, and sister Noleen, 18, assess their loss after their shack caught fire on October 4. The orphans from Ga-Mabotja village in Moletji, Limpopo, are now homeless. Photo Sandile Ndlovu. © Sowetan
Thabang Mabotja, 16, and sister Noleen, 18, assess their loss after their shack caught fire on October 4. The orphans from Ga-Mabotja village in Moletji, Limpopo, are now homeless. Photo Sandile Ndlovu. © Sowetan

A rubble is all that is now left where a shack that housed a child-headed family once stood.

The two-roomed shack, which was built with corrugated iron sheets, caught fire on October 4. The incident happened in Mokgau Park section of Ga-Mabotja village near Polokwane, Limpopo.

Its occupants - an 18-year-old girl, her younger brother, 16, and her son, 2, were left homeless.

They believe an electrical fault could have caused the fire. The siblings a re now squatting with relatives in the village.

When Sowetan visited them yesterday, we found them counting the losses - three weeks after the incident occurred.

They only received two blankets from the Polokwane m unicipality .

At around midnight on that fateful night, the 16-year-old Thabang Mabotja, who is a Grade 10 pupil at Mohlapetsi Secondary School, said he woke up because of smoke inside the shack.

"Upon inspection, I realised there was fire coming out of the electric box inside the house. I jumped out of the window and went to call for help from neighbours," Thabang said.

He said neighbours came in their numbers and tried to extinguish the fire but it was too strong for them.

Fire-fighters were then called, but when they arrived it was already too late, Thabang said.

His sister Noleen was away visiting her friend, and the teenager was all alone.

He said they lost two beds, a wardrobe, washing machine, a television set, two refrigerators, kitchen unit, his cellphone, 12 bags of cement, groceries and clothes in the fire.

"We had just purchased groceries for the month when our house burnt down. Everything was burnt, including our birth certificates, IDs and clothes," said Noleen.

Their mother, who was a cleaner at Wits University in Johannesburg, died in 2007. They do not know their father.

Noleen said after their mother's death they stayed with their uncle, but due to family politics the uncle ended up building them the shack that burnt down.

She said they have been working well with social workers, who also assisted them to access social grants after the death of their mother.

Spokeswoman for the provincial department of social development Adele van der Linde said they would activate plans for relief of distress for the children.

"We will then see how we can accommodate those [who are] underage to ensure they are kept in a safe environment," she said.

Noleen said a day after the incident, a local ANC councillor came and donated two blankets, which she was told were the only contributions from the municipality.

Councillor Alfred Moakamedi confirmed this yesterday and said they could only offer two blankets "as a social relief".

"We wanted to also offer a tent but the idea was rejected on the basis that it would be unsafe for occupants," he said.

The family lives on government's social grants.

Spokesman for the Polokwane municipality Tshediso Mothapo said their disaster management unit had limited resources.

He said they could only offer blankets and tents and that an arrangement would be made with their housing unit to ensure that a house was built for the family, "funds permitting".

frankm@sowetan.co.za

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