Fire attack leaves Soweto siblings shaken
The property according to the family belonged to their late grandparents and they were the only care-takers.
The Ditibane family in Old Dobsonville is pleading for assistance after they lost all belongings in a fire.
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The five siblings who live in a house along Nkwe Street said the last week has been a terror and heartache for their home, in what has left the community puzzled and shocked at the recent events at the Ditibane family home.
Their lives were turn upside down when a ‘sudden mysterious’ fire erupted in one of the bedrooms – seemingly with no cause. The family told Urban News that the fire lit one bed, while they attempted to put down the fire, another bed in the same room started burning.
The family alleges that the bizarre fires started on their own and continued burning different items of the family’s belongings.
The family described it like a scene out of a movie- as none of the electrical points were burnt.
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“It was strange. We have never seen anything of this nature before. When we would switch off the fire, another part of the house would start burning.
“We then resorted to move everything outside on Monday so that the house would not catch fire, but even there, we heard people shouting that the furniture was burning outside, we just saw a big fire outside the front door,” said Badirwang Ditibane, who was at house when the incident started on the Saturday morning of March 4.
The family says the occurrence was strange because none of the electrical points were burnt.
They claim this went on for three days, which they were forced to shelter outside out of fear.
“It was scary. Badirwang and I spent that weekend outside, guarding the house. Fearing that if we slept inside, we would die in the house,” said elder brother, Nketlo Sekokope, recalling the tragic event.
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“While our other sister only returned to the house on Tuesday when it appeared things had died out.”
The fire affected the main house and two informal settlements outside which they share between themselves and four children.
They told Urban News that they had to turn back the fire brigade as the fire would be extinguished and mysteriously start again.
The incident damaged all the furniture, clothes, food, and important documents.
The property according to the family belonged to their late grandparents and they were the only care-takers.
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“What makes it even stranger is that none of the things from backroom dwellers were affected, only us as siblings. As we speak, we don’t have a single item inside the house as we speak.
“We don’t know how we will begin to rebuild because only one person among us is employed and that is not enough,” Ditibane said.
The siblings added that the only source of income they relied on was from two backyard rentals, but was not enough to get them through the month.
“We are pleading for any kind of aid that will help us. Our concern is for the kid that is at school who lost stationary and uniforms.
“We also welcome any in-hand donations, whether it is food, clothes, anything that can help us.”
The family can be reached via Harry Ditibane on 060 411 2488.
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