Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A 10-YEAR-OLD girl in Mashala, Hwange District narrowly escaped death on Tuesday morning when her parents’ bedroom hut caught fire.
Gracious Sibanda, a Grade Four pupil at Mashala Primary School was alone at home when she made fire intending to prepare breakfast after her parents had gone to a family garden a few hundred metres away from the homestead in Mashala Top village.
The girl had not gone to school as it was Africa Day holiday.
She reportedly tried to salvage some property from the hut and only managed to take out her school uniform.
Her books, shoes, clothes and other property including a bed, wardrobe, solar panels, kitchen utensils, groceries, bags of maize, birth certificates and identity documents as well as US$35 and $400 cash was burnt to ashes.
Her father Mr Jemitias Sibanda said the little girl was still in shock following the incident.
He said he and his wife Ms Clara Tshuma and Gracious only remained with the clothes they were wearing while everything was burnt down.
The homestead was new as the family recently relocated from the other side of Mashala village.
Only a summer shed remains of what was their new homestead.
“I and her mother left home in the morning going to the garden. I think she was trying to cook and we don’t know what happened because she hasn’t said anything. We tried to ask her but she would cry continuously and we felt questioning her would traumatize her because already she looks worried.
“So, as we were in the garden, we saw a dark cloud of smoke. When we rushed home, we found the whole hut on fire. She tried to pull some things out of the house but only managed to get her uniform and fled outside as the fire was growing big,” said Mr Sibanda.
He said they endured the cold weather without blankets last night and appealed to well-wishers for help with blankets, clothes and food.
“This happened yesterday and we couldn’t sleep last night because it was cold since we didn’t have any blankets,” said Mr Sibanda.
He said his daughter did not go to school on Wednesday as she was still traumatized.
Mr Sibanda said he was planning to engage the school authorities to plead on his daughter’s behalf so she can be allowed to stay at home for a few days until she recovers from the shock and probably get some clothes.
Chief Whange visited the family on Tuesday after hearing about the incident.
He appealed to members of the community to help the family with food, clothes and blankets.
“I visited the family and their story is a sad tale. They lost everything and we wish we could get help especially with food, clothes and blankets. We are in the middle of winter and it’s not easy to survive without blankets and clothes,” Chief Whange said.
-@ncubeleon
Online Reporter