GEORGE NEWS - Donations streamed in for the surviving victims of a fire on Monday night, 8 July in Tabata Street in Thembalethu. Following a call to action by humanitarian and Miss Pearl Ambassador 2024, Tracy Tichivangani, she was almost overwhelmed by the response of clothing and household items donated by the Knysna and George community.
According to George Municipality, the fire started at 22:31 and the fire brigade arrived at 22:40 to find two shacks and a container on fire.
The fire destroyed both shacks and led to the death of the two men living there. The shack next to them was also destroyed but the occupants managed to escape, losing everything except their lives.
On Thursday 11 July, the cause of the fire was still unknown and the identity of the deceased were not yet confirmed.
Xolane Hloph and his girlfriend, Cynthia Mela, lived in the shack with their two children aged three and five. Mela said during the night she struggled to sleep because the two men next door were quarrelling.
After the quarrel she fell asleep but was later woken up again by loud screams from their neighbours and people outside. She saw that their house was catching fire with the smoke and flames starting to consume their shack wall and woke up Hloph.
The burnt-down shack in Thembalethu where two men lost their lives. Photo: Jacques du Toit“All I thought was that I had to rescue my girlfriend and children,” said Hloph, who grabbed his children and hastily got his family out of the house. There was no time to take any belongings and they lost everything.
On Wednesday 10 July, Mela was still wearing the dressing gown she had on when the fire started.
Tichivangani was informed by the owner of Makabhabhatha Salon, Ester Zhou, which is on the same premises and Tichivangani’s regular salon. Zhou knew about Tichivangani’s humanitarian work and asked her to help collect donations.
The fire destroyed all their possessions, leaving Xolane Hloph and his family with nothing but rubble. Photo: Jacques du Toit
Entities that helped with donations are: Miss Pearl Ambassador 2024, Sam's Clothing (Knysna), Godfrey Plumbing Solutions (Knysna), Primrose Zari (Knysna), Garden Route Models and Makabhabhatha Salon (George).
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