People come to the aid of family who lost everything in fire
A family has been inundated with gifts and offers of support, following the loss of their home to a fire.
Friends, family and strangers have chipped in to replace items that Tinus Pretorius lost when his Putfontein residence burnt down on Sunday, September 7.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response and the generosity,” said a grateful Pretorius.
“We have been showered with love and gifts; it’s been phenomenal.
“It has been outstanding.”
Tinus, who lived with his fiancée, Elize van Staden, and five children; including triplet girls, in a three-bedroom wooden home, said the house went up in flames at around 2pm.
He managed to save only his car from the fire.
Following the fire, he has received aid from family, friends and complete strangers.
People have donated various items, including furniture, clothes, bedding, a microwave and a fridge, to name a few.
The father of five has had to turn down some of the donations, as he already has duplicates.
Pretorius joked that he is better off, in terms of home items, than he was before the fire.
He said he has no words to describe the generosity that has been showered on the family.
The family have been living with their landlord since Sunday evening, when she opened her home to them.
A neighbour has also offered a three-bedroom house to the family for a month; they will move into it at the weekend.
Pretorius said his children’s school, Gekombineerde Skool Noorderlig, has allowed the youngsters (Mitchell (17), Amoure-may (11), and triplets Abigail (10), Liesl and Isobel), to attend school in civilian clothes.
Pretorius thanked everyone who has come to the aid of his family, including his employer, AAD Drive Train Systems, and his fianceé’s employer, Cobra Water Tech.
