After four years of desperately seeking intervention, a local company has stepped up to revamp a home in Ezibeleni after it was gutted by fire, claiming the life of one inhabitant.
Nosakhele Vivian Nqabisa, who had reached out to The Rep for help in 2019, said her life took a turn for the worse when a mysterious fire gutted her house on the night of December 11, 2017, destroying everything they had.
The Rep reported (‘Family in dire need after house caught fire’, October 31, 2019) that Nqabisa had found a job as a domestic worker in Johannesburg to save money for her daughter’s university tuition when she was informed of the tragic incident which took her husband’s life.
“My husband was alone in the house. I was in Johannesburg when this happened. I received a call from a neighbour who told me about it. I still do not know what caused the fire, but I was told it started in the main bedroom where my husband is believed to have been sleeping. His body, however, was found in the kitchen.”
Nqabisa who was living in a small shack behind her dilapidated house in kwaThemba in Ezibeleni, received a prefab structure from one of the government departments in 2020.
A local businessman who does not want to be named at this stage said after he was approached by local leadership, the company paid a visit to the home to assess the damage. “I did not realise the damage was massive, but after hearing her story I was touched. I made a decision to assist the family on condition that I remained anonymous because all we want to do is assist. My team and I are working on wrapping up the process so the official handing-over can be done. We will be getting furniture and are currently busy with the roofing and plastering.” He said revamping costs were around R220 000.
“She was full of tears and we could see and feel her pain. As local business people we should be contributing towards such cases, assisting people who are unable to do so for themselves,” he said.
“I have always kept the faith and believed that one day God will send someone my way, to take me out of my misery. I have no words to express my gratitude for what is happening. My soul is at peace, my tears are now dry. One thing I can attest to is that consistent prayer is powerful. The unbearable pain that I have carried over the years, of losing everything that I had, including my husband, has been healed,” said an emotional Nqabisa.
“Nothing gives me more joy than knowing I will have a roof in my toilet. My dignity will be restored and my children and grandchildren will finally have a place they call home again,” she added.
