Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
It remains a mystery how Ms Ndakaziva Moyo’s beautiful house in Jonsly Village, Gwanda District, was destroyed in an inferno about two weeks ago.
One minute she was washing dishes outside, the next people were hurtling about and screaming for help.
As far as she can remember, there was no candle, paraffin or gas stove in the house. There was not even a match stick but to her shock, flames ravaged her house leaving ash and remnants of property that was.
The family of nine has had to clean out the shell that remains, just so that they can have a makeshift roof over their heads.
They now sleep in an incomplete kitchen hut whose doorway they have covered with an improvised door to keep the elements and creatures out.
Ms Moyo said a fire broke out from her house at around 9am on the fateful day and she failed to salvage anything.
“Everything was destroyed. My niece was preparing breakfast in our kitchen hut and I was doing the dishes outside. We never used any flammable appliances or fire in the house. We were shocked to see fire in the house and before we knew it, everything was burnt,” said Ms Moyo.
She said efforts to quench the flames were futile. They were just too powerful for their buckets of water and sand.
“My niece had gone into the house to look for something and found a sofa burning. She informed us and we tried to pull the burning sofa outside but the flames kept growing so we pushed the sofa back into the house. We just couldn’t stop the fire. We lost everything in the fire. Clothes, blankets, groceries, everything. It’s a stressful situation and I don’t know what to do with these children. Schools have opened and they have no uniforms or school shoes,” said Ms Moyo.
Ms Moyo has no idea where the money to buy new uniforms or shoes will come from.
Her daughter, Ms Prudence Mangena said the family was in desperate need of assistance.
The Gwanda District Civil Protection Unit and other well-wishers chipped in to assist the family with foodstuffs and toiletries following the incident, but the family says it needed more help to start life afresh.
“We need roofing materials and doors so that we can start repairing our house. We don’t have clothes or blankets. There are people who helped us with groceries and we’re grateful but we need more help and a long-term solution. The starting point is for us to be able to get the children ready for school and then start rebuilding our home,” said Ms Mangena.
Villagers who spoke to Chronicle said the unfortunate incident could have been as a result of a bitter fight between the victim and her neighbour who has since moved in with her husband.
“People are still shocked by what happened. We hear the fire just broke out from nowhere while the family was outside. No one knows what could’ve caused it. It’s still a mystery,” said Mr Enoch Nyandeni, the village head.
Gwanda District Civil Protection Unit chairperson and District Development Coordinator Mr Thulani Moyo encouraged farmers in resettlement areas to put up fireguards around their properties.
“Of course, in this case the cause of the fire was sinister because the fire started in a room but we continue to encourage farmers in resettlement areas to put up fireguards. We also encourage them to be part of disaster risk reduction committees in their communities so that they gain knowledge on how to deal with such fire incidents and other issues regarding risk reduction,” said Mr Moyo. – @Yolisswa
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