Fire destroys two shacks in Munsieville

A group of shacks in Munsieville burnt to the ground on 13 April, leaving two families homeless. The community tried to put out the flames but were unsuccessful. Fortunately, nobody was in the shacks at the time as the residents were at work or school. No-one knows what caused the fire which destroyed all the Motswoasele family's belongings including their Nissan 1400 bakkie. The fire spread to the neighbouring Bosman’s shack; they also lost everything. The fire brigade then extinguished the blaze, preventing the fire from spreading further to surrounding shacks in the township.

Four young Democratic Alliance councillors, Lawrence Shabalala, Victor Mhlari, Neo Magodielo and Lebo Moreby have helped by gathering donations from the Krugersdorp Rotary Club. Silverstar Casino and members of the community donated clothing and blankets. The families are now trying their best to get back to where they were before the fire broke out and are appealing to the the community to donate sheets of corrugated iron and wooden planks so they can rebuild their shacks. Presently they are sleeping in a tent provided by the West Rand Emergency Services. Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, it was possibly due to paraffin, commonly used for cooking and lighting in the shacks. If so, this unfortunate accident highlights the dangers of this fuel and the importance of the safety training and awareness programme The Thoughtful Path are running in Munsieville.