Mdantsane community steps in after fire destroys family’s house

A Mdantsane family left homeless after a fire destroyed much of their home last week have been overwhelmed by support from residents and local businesses, with volunteers already hard at work rebuilding the property.

The effort has been spearheaded by Ekoneni Lounge, which mobilised community members and businesses to assist the family after the blaze left a mother and her two children without a home.

“My children were rescued by neighbours. My eldest child was stuck inside, but they broke the window so he could escape.”

Residents and local businesses have since donated building materials, labour and other essentials to help restore the damaged house and support the family through the difficult period.

Large sections of the home were destroyed in the fire, leaving the family without accommodation.

The cause of the blaze has not yet been confirmed, and police had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.

The mother recalled receiving a call on the evening of May 27, informing her that her house was on fire.

“My two children, aged 17 and 21, were at the house while I was in NU9,” she said.

“Upon my arrival, I saw my 17-year-old outside and he told me my other child had been rushed to hospital after being injured.”

According to the mother, who is not being named for her protection, neighbours later told her an unknown vehicle had stopped outside the property shortly before the fire broke out.

She said residents claimed that people got out of the vehicle and that an explosion was heard before the house became engulfed in flames.

“An explosion was heard, and the house was suddenly ablaze,” she said.

“My children were rescued by neighbours. My eldest child was stuck inside, but they broke the window so he could escape.”

The injured son was treated in hospital and later discharged.

The mother said she had been deeply moved by the support shown by Ekoneni Lounge and the wider community.

“I am speechless. I was not expecting such generosity in my life,” she said.

“We are currently homeless, but Ekoneni Lounge have provided us with alternative shelter. We are truly thankful.”

Residents involved in the rebuilding initiative said the response demonstrated the spirit of ubuntu that continued to exist within the township.

Ekoneni Lounge management member Viwe Thongo said the business decided to step in after learning about the family’s circumstances and approached other businesses for assistance.

“Usually at Ekoneni Lounge, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we do not operate, but rather host sporting activities such as soccer and boxing,” Thongo said.

“The reason we host such things is to eradicate substance abuse in Mdantsane, especially illegal substances.

“So this past Monday, we did not have our usual sporting activities, but rather visited the household to see what we could assist with.

“What we saw was devastating, as the house was torched to an extent where the roof was no longer there.”

Thongo said about 20 volunteers, most of them Ekoneni Lounge staff members, including the owner, joined the rebuilding effort.

Work began on Monday and has already seen a new roof installed, walls plastered and structural reinforcements completed to protect the home from further weather-related damage.

He said volunteers had planned to continue installing doors and windows and painting the exterior, but severe weather had temporarily delayed the work.

“We asked for donations from different businesses to assist, and those people really did come through for the distraught family,” Thongo said.

“The staff were meant to rest from Monday to Wednesday, but they have sacrificed and decided to plough back to the community by helping.

“What we wanted to cover for the family was a basic human need, which is shelter.

“At any given stage, we can still ask for more donations such as furniture.

“Our aim is to create a culture of awareness in the community that when tragic incidents of this nature happen, businesses and residents can work together to help those in need.”

The family thanked everyone who had contributed to the rebuilding effort, saying the support they received had given them hope following the traumatic ordeal.

Thongo encouraged residents and local businesses to continue donating building materials, clothing, furniture and household items as efforts to fully restore the family’s home continued.