The victims of a shack fire in Khutsong have started receiving help after their cry for help to the community.
The Mahupela family from shack SH545 in Batswaneng Section of Shawela informal settlement has struggled since a family member torched their home because of personal issues. Police arrested him shortly afterwards.
The intentional incident left them heartbroken. They lost everything in the fire, and now have no place to stay. They have to beg their fellow community members for shelter.
The elder brother, Mr Patrcik Mahupela, pleaded with the Herald for help, concerned about the well-being of his two sisters and their five children.
The family lived in the shack since 1994.
The local municipality has not assisted in any way, despite the ward councillor being aware of their circumstances.
No one responded to their call for help until the Herald followed up on the crisis.
Several local organisations have indicated their willingness to assist the family, like the Umfazi Aka Lali Nge Nxeba.
The organisation collected different items on behalf of the family and the members paid the family a visit on Monday, 1 April to deliver items like clothes, blankets and food. The members, Mrs Lindiwe Nkabinde and Miss Bongi Frans, were deeply touched by the dire situation the family is in.
The Mahupelas are staying in someone’s one-bedroom shack in the meantime.
One of the sisters, Miss Sofie Mahupela, expressed her gratitude for the assistance as it means a lot for the children to have clothes and food.
Another organisation, Moduane Community Centre, also visited the family to assess the situation and promised to assist with clothing.
The Black Ladies Organisation, based in Carletonville, has been active in Merafong, and is aware of the crisis. They plan to help reconstruct the shack and restore the family’s dignity.
The organisation is securing zinc from their sponsors to ensure the shack is up that before the winter.
The response from the organisations has given the family hope that their problems will be solved.
They are still open to help from the community for furniture and appliances so the family can function normally again.
Anyone who is willing to assist the family can contact them at 067 367 8190/072 454 0368.
