Pelandaba family stranded after house was gutted by fire
IN a tear-inducing tale, a family from Pelandaba suburb in Bulawayo has been left counting losses as two of its four-roomed house were gutted by fire on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire incident, the latest in a growing list of disturbing fire incidents around the city, destroyed property worth thousands of dollars.
Charred remains of a bed, wardrobes, a refrigerator, a television set, blankets, and other valuable items told the sorry tale.
When a Chronicle News crew visited the house, the Nkomo family told of a sad story and the somber was palpable.
Shattered windows on the floor served as a window to the wailing souls of the family as Mr Timothy Nkomo narrated what he believes was the cause of the devastating fire.
“I was in my room watching television when suddenly, I was called up to the front where I saw smoke coming out of the window of my grandmother’s room,” he said.
“Neighbours were already putting out the fire at this point and I immediately called the Fire Brigade for assistance but the neighbours put out the fire before the Fire Brigade arrived. I suspect the cause to be the old and faulty wiring since the bulb switch would always trip,” he added.
Clad in a yellow T-shirt, red jersey, a doek, and a pair of sneakers, Gogo Simoli Nkomo (84), partially visually-impaired, recollected with a heavy heart how the inferno robbed her of “my all.”
“What I’m wearing now is all that’s left of me. The fire took away my all. I have no clothes, bed, wardrobe, and source of income. The sewing machine that has for ages put food on the table has gone,” she said.
“I can barely do anything now and the only upside to this is that, the fire broke out when I was outside, who knows, I might have burnt to death in there.
“All of my precious religious books were burnt in the process and this unfortunate circumstance reminds me of the Biblical Job who was robbed of everything but remained steadfast, ” she said.
The inferno left the family in the dark as they waited for ZESA personnel to come and check on the situation. The family appealed for help to get through the day since the unfortunate incident left them feeding off scraps.
“As the Nkomo family, we appeal for well-wishers to help us pay off the debt we accumulated from calling the Fire Department. We have nothing to eat and do not know how we will survive another day.
“My grandmother lost everything in the inferno and I’m not formally employed so we have braced ourselves for even more tougher times,” said Timothy.
“I appeal to the corporate world to help us repair the damaged walls, roof, windows and replace the lost property.”
Well-wishers can donate to the cause through Ecocash on 0779 346 622 (Timothy Nkomo) or drop their donations at their residential address, which is 61263 Pelandaba.
-The Chronicle
