POLOKWANE – Store owner, Naveed Ahmed estimates the damage at R1,7 million and says his shop, which was not insured, was his only means of income. Ahmed said he received a phone call in the early hours of the morning from security guards at the Mankweng Shopping Complex, where his store is located, alerting him that his store was on fire.
[WATCH] Mankweng fire: Public asked to disperse
“The fire brigade was called but the fire had by the time of their arrival escalated to a point beyond return. My shop and the one next to it had both caught fire.”
He added that in their attempt to douse the flames, fire-fighters ran out of water and had to go back for a refill. Municipal Spokesperson, Thipa Selala, said preliminary reports indicate that the cause of the fire could be gas-related, and added that a detailed report would be made available once the investigation has been done. Ahmed says he lost goods to the value of R250 000 in the fire.
“The storeroom at the back was not completely damaged, but the stock in there was looted after law enforcement officers had left.”
According to Ahmed, fire-fighters could not allow them to move the stock from the storeroom to a different location out of fear that the storeroom might collapse. “When we left, police were still on the scene but by the morning, the room had been emptied out.”Ahmed said he had no plans to rebuild the store, as he was a tenant. My two employees are now unemployed and right now, I do not even know where to start. I do not have a source of income and will be taking it one day at a time,” he said.
