Two burn to death

Members of the community of Khumbe village are mourning the death of two young children, aged 13 and 7, who died in a fire last Friday night.

Thanyani Ndou and Konanani Mulovhedzi, who were attached to the Munna Ndi Nnyi project as children from vulnerable backgrounds, burned to death while they were sleeping inside the shack of Thanyani's mother, Ms Pinky Ndou (28).

Konanani's mother, Ms Joyce Mulovhedzi (40), said that she was not sure what had caused the fire. Ndou and a friend were passing in the street to the other side of the village on Saturday morning, when they noticed that the two-room shack had been gutted by the fire.

“We couldn't see anything apart from the mess of burnt corrugated sheets, charred poles, door frames and some pots,” said a weepy Ndou.

The matter was reported to the police, who responded by coming to collect evidence at the scene.

The director of Munna Ndi Nnyi, Mr Bardwell Mufunwaini, said that the centre had lost two lovely young children who were always joyful and ready to socialise with other kids. “These kids, our own children, died while they were sleeping unsupervised in a shack, alone in that yard,” Mufunwaini said. “What does that tell us as the community and organisations which care for children?”

He said that it was high time that the Department of Social Development and other stakeholders considered funding organisations which looked after children, with funds to build full-time homes for these children. “Children would only be allowed to visit parents or families during school holidays, and only when those coming to collect them had promised to take good care of them during that space of time,” said Mufunwaini.

Vhamusanda Vho-Mukhwathisi Tshikovhokovho expressed his shock about the death of the two children. “They died a very painful death,” he said. “We are hurting as a community. This is too much for us. We comfort the affected family.”

Limpopo's police spokesperson, Col Ronél Otto, confirmed the incident. “A case of arson has been opened,” Otto said. “The children were trapped in the house and they died in the blaze. An inquest case was opened to look into the cause of the death of the children.”

Col Otto added that no arrests had been made so far, and that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

Thanyani was in Grade 7 at Muthule Primary School, while Konanani was doing Grade 2 at Tshikovhokovho Primary School. Both schools sent messages of condolence to the aggrieved family.

The two pupils will be buried on Saturday at Tshalovha cemetery. The funeral services will start at 07:00.

News - Date: 28 February 2014

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]