Community rallies around family who lost children in shack fire
The Reiger Park-based Maranatha Funeral Directors has donated two coffins for the four-year-old twin sisters who died in a shack fire in Ramaphosa.
Four–year–old twin sisters burn to death
The little girls were burned beyond recognition when the three-room shack they shared with their parents and two brothers burnt to ashes, on Sunday morning, April 17.
Early this week, the father said the family has been left heartbroken and unable to pay for funeral expenses.
But ,when the owners of Maranatha Funeral Directors, Gilda Swartz and Jerome Julius, heard about the tragedy, they reached out to the family.
The bodies were then transported to Limpopo, where the little girls will be laid to rest with dignity, on Saturday (April 23).
“Part of our social responsibility is that when something this devastating occurs in our community we assist where we can. The incident was tragic and we were deeply saddened by it. We even visited the family to pass on our sincere condolences,” said Swartz.
“The loss of a loved one is never easy. During this time the family has to deal with trauma, grief and the issue of funeral arrangements.
”As a business we want money, but it is also our responsibility to assist those in need, and God will provide for us.”
The residents of Ramaphosa and beyond have been touched by this tragedy.
Residents pulled together and rallied around the family with other donations.
EFF members in Ramaphosa and Reiger Park went door-to-door soliciting donations of building materials to rebuild the family’s home.
As of late on Thursday, the group had already built a new shack for the family.
Some of our readers reacted to our article about the fire, with others saying this tragedy shows the need for proper housing for the poor residents of the informal settlements.
If you want to contribute something to help the family, you may contact Reiger Park CPF chairperson Pastor Francis Coetzee on 083 647 8336.
