WATCH: Mat South minister rescues fire-victim Bulilima families

THE Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, on Wednesday handed over donations to three families from Bulilima District whose homes were ravaged by fire incidents sometime last year.

The donations comprised 15x10kg bags of mealie-meal and an assortment of blankets that each family received.

The department of social development in Bulilima District in partnership with the District Development Co-ordinator, assessed the needs of the two families which were left homeless in Gato Village, Tshankwa Ward 1 where it was discovered that one of the homesteads was set ablaze by a 19-year-old mentally challenged teenager.

The first homestead belongs to Mr Edward Nkomo, and his wife Elizabeth whose family composition comprises four children including the mentally challenged teen. As a result, the family’s belongings such as a bed and bedding, clothes, wardrobe, certificates and plates were all destroyed.

The case was reported to the police in Plumtree who referred the teenager to the hospital for mental assessment and was eventually referred to Ingutsheni.

“The Department of Social Development managed to provide the family with clothes, mealie-meal and washing soap,” Dr Ndlovu said in his remarks.

She said the second homestead was gutted by fire when their solar system short-circuited and caused a fire.

“The second homestead that was set on fire belongs to Howard Nkomo and his young brother Edward. They are not formally employed and rely on subsistence farming.

“One thatched house was gutted by fire of which the family suspects this was caused by a short-circuit, which caused a spark on the solar batteries and exploded,” said the minister.

“The batteries were near the bed, which eventually caught fire thereby destroying the entire house and the personal belongings.”

The third homestead in Tsukuru Village in the same district belongs to Ms Ludiya Nleya where a mysterious fire started and burnt beds, cupboards, clothes and certificates belonging to her two sons who are based in South Africa.

“We had just finished having breakfast when the fire erupted. It was spotted by one of my nieces and we tried to salvage the little that we could but most of the property was destroyed,” said Mrs Nleya.

“We are lucky it happened in the afternoon and there was no one in the building when the fire occurred.”

Dr Ndlovu paid tribute to the community members who came together to assist the affected families by providing them with food and shelter.

“It fills my heart with great honour to acknowledge the efforts made by our communities in helping their fellow neighbours who were in great need,” she said.

“This symbolises that our people still have a sense of ubuntu and I encourage each and every one of us to perpetuate the spirit of ubuntu and love one another. “We can all note that the affected families are elderly people and will need all our support as a community to come out of the trauma caused by the unfortunate predicament.”

The minister urged the Civil Protection Unit to establish a base in Bulilima to respond to such incidents saying the district was prone to a number of incidents that she said could have been averted.

“It is important to note that civil protection issues have not spared Bulilima as a district as we have seen incidents of school roofs being blown away and drought affecting our communities with the Makhulela area being an example,” she said.

“The Government has reacted positively in assisting our communities in these times of need. In line with the Devolution Agenda and the Second Republic’s philosophy of ‘leaving no one and no place behind’, I would like to thank President Mnangagwa for the aid he has sent to these families who had their houses gutted down by fire.”

Dr Ndlovu told villagers that the Second Republic was implementing several programmes meant to uplift communities and urged them to rally behind the Government.

These include infrastructural projects such as schools and clinics, construction and rehabilitation of roads as well as agriculture productivity, which has greatly improved through the smart climate agriculture Intwasa/Pfumvudza model.