An elderly couple have been left homeless after a fire allegedly started by a faulty meter box gutted their Manenberg home on Monday.
Jessie and Suleiman Hendricks say after numerous warnings to officials at the City of Cape Town’s electrical department about their shoddy connections, they are now left to sleep under an afdakkie with no blankets.
The hartseer oupa, 60, says despite always paying the rent on time for his council house in Scheldt Walk, he was given crappy service that resulted in his home being destroyed.
“This box has been a problem for more than a year. You know, I pay my rent on time to them every month and we are living here for more than 40 years, but when we told them this is a problem, they take us in the gevriet and give us sh!t service and look at this now.”
Ouma Jessie, 58, says shortly after 8am on Monday, her grandchildren were at school and she was visiting her sister when neighbours came to call her to say the house was on fire.
“The fire was everywhere, we just couldn’t believe it,” the sobbing granny says.
BURNT: Flames moved through house, destroying all couple’s goods. Picture: Monique Duval
Neighbour Justin Lakay, 19, says he was asleep in his home above the couple’s house when he heard what sounded like “wires skieting” coming from the box.
Suleiman says one of the many electricity meters on the box burst into flames, sending sparks into his home.
“You can see it shot inside and melted our units box, and the fire moved from the kitchen to the rooms and the lounge,” he says.
SPREAD: Fire started in the electricity box. Picturer: Monique Duval
“How can the City be so reckless to make such faulty connections? I mean they connect it to a light pole and we have told them about this problem.”
The fire resulted in the entire block being left in the dark on Monday.
Mayco Member for Energy and Climate Change, Phindile Maxiti, says the department is aware of the fire and will conduct an inspection, but did not answer questions about the electric box.
To assist the elderly couple call Aziza on 083 238 4843.