The Muebi family of Duthuni outside Thohoyandou suffered a double blow when their six-room house caught fire and the house and all its content were consumed by the fierce flames. Their disabled 15-year-old son, Tshilidzi, who was wheelchair-bound and alone in the house when the fire broke out, also burnt to death. The incident occurred on Thursday evening, 6 October.
The owner of the house, Mr Aifheli Muebi (63), said he was whiling time away with friends at a spaza shop not far from his house when the fire broke out. "I had left the boy alone in the house as he is disabled and cannot even move, while I sat at the spaza shop as the area was dark as a result of loadshedding between 19:00 and 20:00. Suddenly, I heard the sound of fire and, on further enquiry, saw the glowing light at my house. We rushed to the house, only to find it engulfed in flames. Neighbours arrived and helped us as we tried to put out the flames, but we could not stop it. We even tried breaking the windows to save the boy, but it was no use. A local man, who arrived at the scene, soaked himself in water and entered the room where the boy had been. He managed to retrieve his body, but the boy was already dead," he said.
Muebi said they still did not know how the fire could have started as the boy could not even lift his arms. "I do not have a plan out of this predicament. It took me many years to build this house and buy the furniture. I am no longer working and am left with nothing and with no shelter," he said.
Ms Johanna Nevuvha, a relative of the family, who arrived at the house expressed her shock over the incident. "This is very painful. We lost our beloved Tshilidzi, who did not even cry. Our hearts are broken," she said.