Fire fighters from the Makana Fire Department were at the scene in minutes when a shack went up in flames in Vergenoeg around 4.30pm on Sunday, 21 August.
Fire fighters from the Makana Fire Department were at the scene in minutes when a shack went up in flames in Vergenoeg around 4.30pm on Sunday, 21 August.
But minutes were all it took for the flames to destroy the lean-to serving as accommodation for Ziyanda Masoma – along with all his possessions.
The owner of the house, Florence Marthinus, was away visiting relatives, according to neighbours.
Masoma told Grocott's Mail he'd been fighting with someone over money.
"I just saw he had a green Twizza bottle," Masoma said, minutes after his possessions were reduced to ashes.
"I took him outside and then I just saw the smoke coming from my room."
A neighbour, who declined to be named, said they'd run across with buckets of water, to no avail.
"It was already too far gone." She confirmed she'd heard an altercation shortly before the fire started.
Masoma said the person he'd been arguing with ran away, over the fence and among the houses as the fire started.
Then, remembering he'd left his bag there, he returned to retrieve it before running off again.
Makana municipality spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo said the municipality fire fighters received a call at 4.30pm about a shack fire in Lofting Avenue, Vergenoeg.
"On arrival the crew found a shack attached to a house well alight. The fire was extinguished and the crew returned at 5.25pm. The suspected cause of the fire is also undetermined," said Ramokolo.
