The community of Ha-Mphego, outside Thohoyandou, is still reeling from shock following the tragic death of two children from the same mother, Andani Mulaudzi (8) and Ntanganedzeni Tshabalala (11).

The siblings, a boy and a girl, died in a fire that started in an RDP-house that they were sleeping in with their mother´s uncle, John Mabasa. The incident happened on Wednesday evening, at about 20:00pm, hardly a day after their grandfather, Mr William Baloyi, had passed away in the Tshilidzini hospital.

The children were two of the 283 needy children who received new pairs of shoes from the Bobs for Good Foundation last Tuesday. (See a report elsewhere in the paper).

The donation of the shoes came after the children had been waiting for new school shoes from ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, who promised that he would donate shoes to them last year in January. The children´s grandmother, Ms Nyanisi Mchavi (79), said: “My grandchildren where very excited when they came and showed me the shoes on Tuesday after school.”

The donation, which Mchavi said was their first new shoes in a very long time, came a day after the children’s grandfather, William Baloyi, passed away on Monday night.

Mchavi, who stays next to the gate of the school, Makanyi, said: “The children, a boy and a girl, left their mother, Julia Chabalala,and came to me on Wednesday evening. My daughter, Julia, was busy preparing food for the people who came to support us in mourning the death of my husband. The children went home, some streets away, to sleep at their mother’s RDP house,” she said.

The children’s uncle, John Mabasa, whose is mentally retarded, was already sleeping in the house.

There was no electricity in the whole area as it had gone off, said Mchavi. He added that at around 20:00, people came to his house and informed them that the children were burning in the house. “When I reached the house, I collapsed before I could see what was happening,” said Mchavi.

Mchavi and her daughter, Julia, were admitted to the Tshildizini hospital where they were treated for shock after they had collapsed immediately when they saw the fire.

Makanyu School principal Nthambeleni Ramanyimi, who also came to the house while the fire was still burning, said: “It seemed like the children tried to escape as their remains were found in different corners of the house.”

Ramanyimi said the fire destroyed everything in the house, including mealie-meal, blankets, bedding, the television set, fridge and other valuable items.

Their uncle, Mabasa, said he managed to escape after breaking down the main door; he managed to get out of the house.

The family suspects that the children lit a candle and forgot to put it out when they went to sleep.

The traumatized mother, Julia, could not say much. Ntanganedzeni and Andani were the only children Julia had.

Although the funeral arrangements for the children and their grandfather are scheduled for this Saturday, Mchavi said they did not have money to bury three people as they were also struggling to raise money for the grandfather when the unfortunate incident happened.

Ramanyimi said teachers and children were busy collecting money to help the family, but he said it would not be enough.

In his comment, Mr Ron Rutland, co-founder of the foundation and one of the directors who delivered the shoes at the school, said: “I am absolutely devastated by the tragic news of the death of two young learners from Makanyu Primary who died in such terrible circumstances last week. The needless death of children is always hard to stomach, and after having spent such an uplifting and cheerful day with these learners only the day before, I am particularly saddened. On behalf of the entire Bobs for Good Foundation team, our thoughts and prayers are with the children´s families, and their friends and teachers at Makanyu Primary.

“Events like this only serve to highlight the need for poverty alleviation efforts in South Africa,” said Rutland.