A MARIANNHILL family was left devastated when all of their possessions were engulfed by a raging inferno last Wednesday morning.
“When I saw that my house was on fire I was hysterical. I was screaming and crying and can barely remember much of what happened after that. It’s not easy to see your whole world burn to the ground,” said Sivagammie Govender, the 53-year-old home owner.
Her son, (28), daughter, (17) and granddaughter (5) were not at home during the time the fire started.
“I was outside hanging my washing when I saw smoke coming through the house. I ran inside and clouds of smoke were pouring out of the bedroom and the bathroom,” said Govender.
She believed the cause of the fire was an electrical fault in one of the plug points in her bedroom.
Her first thought was to grab her handbag which contained all of her important belongings, from her ID to her cellphone and bank cards.
“The fire had already engulfed both of the rooms and the flames were so high that I couldn’t have made it into the room and back out again.”
Her children’s personal documents were also destroyed. The fire tore through the built in cupboards and made its way into the roof.
Once she decided not to attempt to grab her bag, she ran outside and alerted all of the nearby neighbours to her plight.
Navashnie Govender, her daughter, arrived at the home 45 minutes later.
“I am so glad that my mother is alright. She was home alone when it happened and am thankful she was able to get out alive,” said her daughter.
“What is also troubling is that people visited the home after the fire was doused and all of her own jewellery, and that which she had inherited from her late family members, was stolen. When you lose something, the last thing you would expect is for someone to steal from you.”
The home was not insured.
“My family’s possessions are all gone. We have nothing,” said Govender. Since the fire, the family have stayed at the houses of their friends and relatives.
“The stress from the whole situation has really gotten to me. I have high blood pressure and I barely sleep,” she said.
The family is reaching out to the community for assistance after the tragedy. They are in desperate need of clothing, non perishable food items, beds, and kitchen appliances. Contact Navashnie on 084 563 6405.
If you would like to make a monetary donation:
FNB
S. Govender (beneficiary)
62006843496 (account number, cheque/savings)
221626 (branch code)
Contact number (reference)
