News / Regional
Govt donates to Nketa family
10 May 2016 at 02:24hrs | Views
THE government yesterday donated $1,000 to assist a family from Nketa 6 suburb in Bulawayo that lost five members in a house fire last week.
The five family members were burnt to death while three others escaped, one with serious burns, from the fire that is suspected to have been caused by a gas stove and an electrical fault.
Musafare Chidembo, 41, is being treated for serious burns at Mpilo Central Hospital while his wife Ester Mazidziwa, 29, his son Brian, 19, daughters Nicollete, 12 and Nicky, 4, and his brother Learnmore 26, were consumed by the intense fire.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, said the government responded to the call to help the family after the Civil Protection Unit sent a request to assist the family last week. "As government we've chipped in to relieve the burden that the family might be facing such as food as they're mourning their loved ones. So we've given them $1,000 for them to help each other. It was allocated in such as manner that each person is granted $200 so that they can buy food for the children," said Minister Moyo.
She called on the Bulawayo City Council to come on board and help the surviving members of the family.
"We're still concerned that the building was burnt down and we don't know what the root cause was. We're hoping that as a client of BCC, the local authority will chip in where they can, even by building them a one roomed house or whatever. As a parent of the people who live in that area, the councillor should take the matter up in the council meeting so that the other councillors can show some human face over this issue," said Minister Moyo.
She said this was not the end of donations as the province would continue assisting the family.
Last week, Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and his wife Laurinda visited the family and donated groceries worth $1,500.
"The government has helped in the way that they could, we're yet to sit down as a province to come up with our own donation. We would like to thank VP Mphoko for assisting the family and the many well-wishers that donated to their plight. We should keep up that spirit of ubuntu," said Minister Moyo.
The fire, she said, was the most devastating misfortune she had ever seen as a minister in Bulawayo.
The provincial Minister urged Zesa to monitor closely contractors who install wiring in newly built buildings.
She also called on parents to monitor their children especially when there are gas stoves in their homes.
The five family members were burnt to death while three others escaped, one with serious burns, from the fire that is suspected to have been caused by a gas stove and an electrical fault.
Musafare Chidembo, 41, is being treated for serious burns at Mpilo Central Hospital while his wife Ester Mazidziwa, 29, his son Brian, 19, daughters Nicollete, 12 and Nicky, 4, and his brother Learnmore 26, were consumed by the intense fire.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, said the government responded to the call to help the family after the Civil Protection Unit sent a request to assist the family last week. "As government we've chipped in to relieve the burden that the family might be facing such as food as they're mourning their loved ones. So we've given them $1,000 for them to help each other. It was allocated in such as manner that each person is granted $200 so that they can buy food for the children," said Minister Moyo.
She called on the Bulawayo City Council to come on board and help the surviving members of the family.
"We're still concerned that the building was burnt down and we don't know what the root cause was. We're hoping that as a client of BCC, the local authority will chip in where they can, even by building them a one roomed house or whatever. As a parent of the people who live in that area, the councillor should take the matter up in the council meeting so that the other councillors can show some human face over this issue," said Minister Moyo.
Last week, Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and his wife Laurinda visited the family and donated groceries worth $1,500.
"The government has helped in the way that they could, we're yet to sit down as a province to come up with our own donation. We would like to thank VP Mphoko for assisting the family and the many well-wishers that donated to their plight. We should keep up that spirit of ubuntu," said Minister Moyo.
The fire, she said, was the most devastating misfortune she had ever seen as a minister in Bulawayo.
The provincial Minister urged Zesa to monitor closely contractors who install wiring in newly built buildings.
She also called on parents to monitor their children especially when there are gas stoves in their homes.
Source - chronicle
