Alex Matlala and Victor Hlungwane

Alex Matlala and Victor Hlungwane

For the first time after four days of agony, the two Limpopo children whose family houses where burnt smiled after Good Samaritans offered them clothes and food parcels.

The children, Mathimba, 11, and Musa Mothoki, 8, could not go to school since Monday because their school uniforms were burnt.

Their uniforms burnt to ashes with the furniture, groceries and a house in which they were sleeping on Sunday night.

The children, together with their grandparents, had to escape through a window from the fire that engulfed their house.

The house was allegedly set on fire by a group of angry residents in Homu 14C outside Giyani after they accused the children's grandparents of being behind the mysterious death of a local soccer player a week ago.

Good Samaritan Moses Tembe, who is chief executive officer of the Kwangulatilo Combined School in Giyani, the ANC chief whip in the Mopani district municipality and the South African Police Service in Giyani donated school uniforms, shoes, school bags, blankets and food parcels to the children.

Tembe said he was moved by the plight of the children and believed it was the responsibility of the community to raise a child.

He said intervention was needed to change the lives of the children for the better.

"We are very happy for the donation. Though we are behind in our school work, we will work hard and use other children's notes to catch up with the rest of the children," said Mathimba after the donation yesterday.

Mathimba said the donation meant a lot to them and the rest of the family.

He said even among those who hated their parents were people with good hearts.