In a tragic turn of events, a mother and her disabled child lost their lives in a devastating house fire in Ward 5, Thandabantu village, Insiza.
The incident, discovered only in the morning, has plunged the community into mourning, with the cause of the fire yet to be ascertained.
Confirming the incident, Ward 5 councillor, Ngobe Masonga, disclosed that the bodies of the deceased had not been collected by the police on Wednesday afternoon.
He said the woman was popularly known as NaNhlanhla.
“I confirm that two people died in a hut due to an inferno, a mother and her disabled child,” he said.
“It looks like this incident happened at night; their remains were yet to be removed but we managed to call the police to alert them, and they promised to come and ferry them.”
Masonga said the community hoped the police will conduct a thorough investigation.
“We don’t know what happened, and we are leaving everything in the hands of the police to do their full investigation and tell us what happened, but on our observation as villagers, we cannot rule out foul play; something might have happened,” he said.
Reflecting on the impact of the loss, Masonga lamented the challenges faced by the deceased mother and her child, who often sought assistance due to the child’s special needs.
“I know these two as villagers who were staying here; her child was disabled, and they could appeal for assistance here and there, and as leaders, we could assist most of the time as the child needed special care. All their documents were burnt along with them.”
“This incident is hurting us, especially as Thandabantu village because someone who was struggling passed on. It was sad seeing how she survived with her child, under the circumstances,” he said.
Masonga urged the police to swiftly investigate the matter and hold anyone responsible accountable.
However, Acting Matabeleland South Provincial Police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, stated that the police had not yet received an official report on the incident.
