WHEN Devland’s Cash and Carry warehouse went up in flames it was seen as manna from heaven by the residents of Freedom Park, south of Joburg.
“It’s sad that the warehouse burnt and I understand it is a great loss for the owners. But this is manna from heaven. God provides for us in different ways and we are grateful,” said Lerato Moholo (30), with a huge smile on her face.
Lerato was one of a group of residents from Freedom Park and Devland, south of Joburg, who saw the burning warehouse as a chance to shop till they dropped.
People watched patiently while waiting for their chance to grab any item tossed their way.
The first trolley to come out was filled with the popular spice known as “benny” in the townships.
Women became excited and jumped for the trolley. Some even arrived with their children so they could grab as much of the spice as possible.
More groceries, including mealie-meal and vegetables, were also thrown out. It was a free-for-all but on a first come, first served basis.
Rachel Adams, who manages security at the store, said she received a call from one of the night security guards to say he had seen smoke coming from inside the warehouse.
“I got the call at 10.50pm and was there in 10 minutes. I immediately called emergency services to the scene but they only came an hour later.
“By then, what was just a small and controllable fire had spread throughout.”
Robert Mulaudzi from Joburg EMS confirmed the incident and said the cause of the fire was unknown.
“We received a call at midnight and responded immediately.
“We have been here for more than seven hours and have managed to stabilise the situation. No one was hurt and we managed to stop the fire from spreading to the retail store.”
