A resident of Madombidzha lost his 12-room house, a Mercedes Benz and other related property in a fire that occurred on Heritage Day (24 September) at about 01:30.
Mr Tshililo Maelekano was fast asleep when he was awakened by the sound of smashing windows and other noises coming from inside the double garage. "It sounded like the car was being smashed, so I got out of bed, peeped outside and found that the entire yard was lit up, which seemed like daylight," he said.
Maelekano then rushed out of his room to check on the garage and found that it was on fire, with dark smoke billowing through the passage.
"There were five of us inside the house and we then scrambled out for safety," he said. "The fire was raging through all the other rooms, so that we could not do anything to extinguish it, even with the help of the neighbours who had arrived."
He finally called the fire brigade and the police, and the latter arrived shortly after the call and took a statement. The fire brigade told Maelekano that they had a problem with the fire extinguisher pipe which they had to attend to first.
"They came long after the fire had reduced the house into ashes; that's after two and a half hours," he said. "Meanwhile, we had lost everything in the fire, and by everything I mean that I and other family members are only left with the clothes we are wearing."
He added that he was uncertain about the cause of the fire. "We thank God for saving our lives from the fire, for we know that material fortune that we had lost is not as important as our lives," he said. "I thank my sister, Vho-Thizwilondi Ramabulana, who arrived shortly after the fire and provided shelter, food and comfort to us. I also thank all people who had stepped forward to comfort us in this painful time."
Maelekano would welcome any form of assistance from any businesspeople who might empathise with him. He can be reached on 076 113 9838.