Middelburg – Two weeks later Patrick Sibanyoni (50) is still struggling to come to terms with his near-demise. Only heaps of ash remain as a stark reminder of what he once called home, after his three-room shack in Doornkop, Middelburg, was completely consumed by evil fire.
He doesn’t know who the culprit is. “Could it be the demons and witches that are out to get me?” he wonders. “I don’t have enemies, I have good relationships with my neighbours.”
The fire consumed all his belongings on 07 September.
Sibanyoni recalled being woken by the sound of footsteps.”I wanted to step out to check, I was confronted by flames in the dining room,” he recalled. “Before I knew it, the fire had spread to the kitchen, engulfing the entire house in flames.”
He managed to escape the shack and sought help from his neighbours. After enduring serious burns, he got medical care at Middelburg General Hospital and was released the next day.
Sibanyoni, who works as part-time spraypainter, said he lives with his wife, Bongiwe Nzima (50), who was away visiting her family in Mhluzi when their house turned into ashes.
He expressed his frustration over a significant loss—the fire destroyed his cellphone which contained crucial contacts and information vital for his job search.
Nzima now lives in constant fear. “What frightens me the most is the uncertainty of what ignited the fire, and the possibility that the same cause could return,” she said.
The couple received essential relief supplies from both the Disaster Management teams of Nkangala District and Steve Tshwete municipalities. On the same day of the fire, Steve Tshwete gave them six blankets, two sponge mattresses, a gel stove, five liters of gel fuel, and a tarpaulin. On Tuesday, 09 September, Nkangala District came through with a 5×5 meter disaster relief tent and a complete food parcel to support him.
Despite this support, the couple remains in need. If you want to support them, contact Sibanyoni at 079 982 2033 or the Disaster Management Centre at 013 249 2800.
