A KTC family is appealing to local businesses and the community at large to assist with funds to bury their child. Sakhiwo Blawu, an 18-month-old, was burnt beyond recognition in a shack fire in Section 6 of the area on Saturday 25 July. The child’s mother is in hospital fighting for her life after being severely burnt. At least three shacks were affected, leaving 12 people homeless.

Sakhiwo’s grandmother, Thelma Blawu, who is unemployed and survived on an old-age grant, said the family was struggling to make ends meet.

Grandmother pleads for help with postmortem and funeral costs

“All I want is for my grandchild to be buried. I don’t have a burial society. Forensic wants R2 800 to perform a postmortem on the baby, which I don’t have. On the other hand I must prepare for the funeral.”

She added she needed any kind of assistance to bury her grandchild in a dignified manner.

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Narrating what happened on the day of the incident, she said the fire started in the bedroom where her daughter, her boyfriend and their two children were sleeping.

“I was sleeping in the dining room. My daughter’s boyfriend was the one who saw the fire. He grabbed the 8-year-old child and ran with him outside. He came back again and dragged his girlfriend out as well. He went inside again trying to rescue the youngest child and was screaming inside the room. At that time the smoke was all over the room and the flames were becoming bigger. He was unable to reach the child and came back,” she said, adding that by that stage she was already outside.

Mother critically burnt trying to rescue baby

Blawu said her daughter also went back inside trying to rescue the baby and was seriously burnt on the head, face, back and both hands.

She said they saw her daughter crawling out and she was pulled out by community members.

“My daughter has been in hospital since Thursday.”

Sanco calls on community and officials to assist

KTC South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) secretary Nkosikhona Mafenuka described the family’s condition as terrible. He said the civic was trying hard to get as many people as possible on board to assist the family.

“When the deceased’s family approached and informed us about their plight we felt we couldn’t sit back and decided to approach the media to assist us in trying to find donations. There is nothing in that family. We would appreciate it if people, including government officials, came forward in numbers to assist.”

People who want to make a contribution can contact Thelma Blawu on 083 433 7432.