JUST as they were preparing for the festive season, a family in Extension, Clermont were left devastated when a fire broke out and left the family with nothing.
The burnt walls and ashes were all that was left of their three-bedroom house.
Owner of the house, Tamara Shezi, said it still feels like it is a bad dream and she can’t believe they are now without a home.
“I have seen and read about houses on TV and in newspapers being destroyed by fire and never ever thought it would happen to me. Nothing could ever prepare one for this, it is horrifying.”
Speaking to the Highway Mail on Thursday and still in tears, Shezi said the fire broke out at 3.30am on Thursday.
“We were woken up by our eldest son who is 13. I really thought he was dreaming when he told us that something was burning,” said Shezi
As the family was spring cleaning for the Christmas holidays, the children were sleeping in the spare room which is where the fire started.
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Shezi said, when she went to check the spare room, the plug was burning and she and her husband tried to douse the flames.
“The fire started spreading and the only thing on my mind was to get my children out safely, everything around us was burning.
“I did not even have a chance to grab my bag with personal documents; my small child’s feeding bottles and even our phones were destroyed,” she said.
Shezi said what makes her really sad is that she just bought groceries and a new microwave.
“I had also cleaned out our cupboards and donated all our old clothes to the underprivileged, but now we are left with nothing, everything turned into ashes in an instant.”
The family is in need of clothes and food. The children are all boys aged 13, 10 and the youngest is 19-months-old. Shezi thanked the neighbours who assisted them through this ordeal.
“I really do not know what we would have done without them, they showed us so much love,” she said.
Anyone who can assist the family can contact a family friend, Mimi Nzama on 083 431 7410 or Tamara on 063 038 4168.
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