GOGO Jakobe Gumede (71) was lucky to escape unharmed when her one-roomed shack was burnt down by a veld fire on Tuesday.
The 71-year-old woman from Ndlondlweni Village at Manguzi in uMhlabuyalingana, northern KZN, is grateful to be alive but is worried that she now lives like a hobo. All her belongings, including important documents, were burnt to ashes.
“Since the day of the incident, life has been very difficult for me. I sleep and eat in my neighbours’ homes. I am old and I suffer from arthritis. I spend most of my time in bed,” she said.
Gogo Jakobe said she was resting in her yard when she suddenly saw a huge flame being blown by the wind onto the roof of her reed shack.
“Before I could get a bucket of water to put out the fire, the entire shack was engulfed in smoke and huge blazes,” she said.
“I was just watching when my shack eventually collapsed to the ground. Because I feared that I would not be able to run fast, I did not attempt to get into the house to save some of my belongings.
“I would appreciate every little help that I can get right now.
“It may be a new shack, blankets, clothes, money or food. My children died a long time ago and I live alone.”
Umhlabuyalingana Local Municipality mayor Nkululeko Mthethwa said a team from the disaster management unit was working on gogo’s problem.
“They will gather details and see how she can be assisted,” she said.
KZN cops said they had no knowledge of the incident.