A 77-year-old Hwange woman and her 16-year-old granddaughter are enduring the cold weather without shelter after their house was burnt down by fire recently.
Sheila Maphosa of Phase Four, a newly built section in Empumalanga suburb said she is failing to come to terms with the fact that her eight-roomed house was literally reduced to ashes by a fire last week Wednesday.
The cause of the fire is still not clear, she said, according to a report she got from the Fire Brigade which reportedly arrived at the scene after neighbours had put out the fire.
Gogo Maphosa’s house was not electrified and was using an outdoor fire to cook and candles for lighting.
She said she lost everything except for the clothes she and her granddaughter, name withheld, were wearing.
“I am still trying to understand the whole thing. The fire happened last Wednesday as I and my granddaughter were sitting on the verandah when suddenly we saw it coming from a tenant’s room.
“The whole roof was burnt and it collapsed while walls were also damaged. All my property was burnt. My prayer is to get anyone who can assist with building material, clothes, food and blankets because we are now struggling,” she said.
The house had three bedrooms, a kitchen, sitting room, dining room and two bathrooms.
Neighbours helped put out the fire but after it had damaged everything in the house.
Gogo Maphosa and her granddaughter have for the past week been living on the benevolence of neighbours who have been donating food, clothes and blankets.
They sleep in a roofless house.
Her children are outside the country.
