ON Wednesday, June 9, the Ocean View community was shocked by yet another shack fire, in which three people were killed, two of them children aged three and six years old.
Shana Mbete, who is a familiar face around Jeffreys Bay, as she has been working at the Global Junction Café in Fountain’s Mall for the last seven years, was the owner of the shack.
Shana Mbete had left for Mthatha on Monday, June 7, to take care of her elderly mother, who had been seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. Her mother had been hit by a taxi and was left with serious injuries, including broken arms and legs.
Her older daughter, Issa Mbete, who works at Steers, was in charge of the home while her mother was away. Her sister, Buhle Mbete was taking care of Issa’s children when the tragedy occurred.
The neighbours noticed that the house was on fire around 21:00 and immediately contacted the fire brigade. They kicked in the door and tried to put out the flames with water, but exited the home upon discovering the bodies of the deceased.
When Issa returned home after her shift she was shocked to discover that the house had burned down, and her sister and two children had perished in the fire. The cause of the fire is not yet known, and investigations into the matter are underway.
Francois and Anita Labuschagne, owners of Global Junction Café, have been supporting Shana and Issa Mbete during this time. When interviewed by Kouga Express, they expressed their heartfelt sadness and sympathy. They are helping with funeral arrangements and supporting Shana during this time.
They said, “Our staff are shocked and mourning with Shana. We are like a family. It was Buhle’s 23rd birthday on the day of the fire. We sent her a cake that morning. She worked hard at her studies at Nelson Mandela University and was going to graduate with a degree in education in six months’ time.
“She would have been the first in her family to achieve tertiary education. Her mother worked very hard to pay for her studies.”
The Labuschagne couple and the staff of Global Junction wish to honour the memories of Buhle and the children by starting a project in which members of the community are provided with fire extinguishers in their homes, and trained in how to use them. They also want to train community members as fire marshals, equipping them with skills needed to contain and control situations such as this until emergency services can take over.
“We want to empower their community, as well as ensuring that these tragedies do not occur as often as they do.”
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Majola Nkholi, confirmed the incident.
The deceased will be buried in Mthatha, and funeral arrangements are under way.
