Toekomsrus resident, Lebogang Mogatusi and her two children aged 7 and 9-years-old were left homeless after their shack burnted to the ground on Tuesday.
This comes after a veld fire broke out in the area and spread out to their property on Diamant Street.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene who do not wish to be named, this could have been avoided had the fire department arrived at the scene earlier.
“We contacted the fire department at approximately 1pm and they only showed two hours later.
“By then, this poor woman’s shack had already gone up in flames.
“I cannot tell you how frustrated we were while trying to put the fire out ourselves.
“We had to use buckets of water and sand to put out the blaze while we have a fire department here in Randfontein,” says the woman.
At the time, both children were at school and their mother was at work.
They were notified of the incident and upon their arrival, they broke down in tears.
West Rand District Municipal spokesperson Dennis Mangope has admitted that the fire department showed up late, saying that there are challenges within the department at the moment.
“We admit that the trucks weren’t able to attend to the incident and we had to dispatch fire trucks from Krugersdorp.
“We are working toward a solution to the problem and we ask for the community’s understanding in the meanwhile.”
According to West Rand regional Public Pafety commander Bennie Mohlabeng, both of Randfontein’s fire trucks were out of order at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile a source told the Herald that both fire trucks sustained serious damage during a recent strike by emergency services workers.
“They only have the two fire trucks and two four-by-four bakkies. Both the fire trucks are completely wrecked,” says the man who wishes not to be named.
One of the trucks was allegedly set alight by striking workers.
Workers allegedly poured sugar into the petrol tank of the other truck.
