Cliffdale family loses everything in devastating fire
What Tholakele Dladla built from scratch, with the hard-earned money she received from her former work, turned to ash in the blink of an eye.
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THE Dladla family lost everything when their three-bedroom home in Cliffdale burnt down on September, 8.
“It still feels unbelievable. Our years of hard work have vanished and we have lost everything,” sighed Dladla.
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She rushed home after she received a frantic phonecall from a neighbour, who said her house had gone up in flames.
“My colleague gave me a lift home and as we approached the driveway, the roof collapsed. What I feared most was that my son was in there,” she said.
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What kept her sane and calm after the ordeal was seeing her seven-year-old son run towards her.
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When she resigned, Dladla said she decided to purchase a plot and build a home for herself, her family and children.
“I did not want to misuse the money and I wanted to use it for something I could be proud of,” she said.
Dladla, her husband and her son now sleep in the garage. It is the only room that was left with a roof. “It is hard. Every time it rains we are forced to wake up as there are cracks and we fear that we might get injured,” she said.
The 44-year-old mother of two said that starting from scratch would not be an easy task, but she was ready for the challenge.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2021/09/39stfire2_15077-520x390.jpg)
“I never expected something like this to happen. We will try to pick up the pieces and buy things, bit by bit,” said a saddened Dladla.
The family has already started to pick up the pieces and have purchased a few bricks to begin the rebuild, but they are in need of building material.
According to the homeowner, the fire was started by a candle. She also thanked her colleagues and the community for assisting them with food during the ordeal.
“My son’s teacher also organised him a stationery and I am very grateful,” she said.
To assist, contact Tholakele Dladla on 074 357 9982.
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