ONGWEDIVA - A family was left destitute after a big part of its traditional homestead was gutted by fire on Monday afternoon in Ondiyamande village in Uukwiy-Uushona Constituency.
The owner of the house, 77-year-old Anna Alfred, said their food, including their mahangu silos, were all reduced to ashes.

In addition, their national documents as well as money amounting to N$2 000 that they collected on Friday as pension and social grants of the minor children, were also lost in the fire.

“We have nothing left, no blankets, no food. We were only left with the clothes we were wearing,” said Alfred.
Alfred, who is a widow, has nine occupants in the house who comprise four adults and five minor children.
She said the fire was caused by a gas stove.

“I don’t really know what exactly transpired, but one of the girls was preparing to cook food for the children when the stove burst into flames,” said Alfred.

She said the flames spread rapidly to other rooms because it was very windy, but she thanked the neighbours for their prompt response to help put out the fire.

As a result two corrugated iron sheet rooms were saved from the fire.
Meanwhile the councillor for Uukwiyuushona, Andreas Amundjindi, has called on the public to come to the assistance of the affected family.

He said the family is in dire need of food, clothes and blankets to shield from the elements especially the five minor children.

Amundjindi also appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to exempt fire victims from paying for the renewal of national documents in cases where there has been an accident such as fire.
He said the documents are costly especially when their money, like in this instance, has also been destroyed in the fire.

“It is time  we exempt victims of accidents from paying to renew their national documents, so that we enable our people to acquire their documents without any delays,” said Amundjindi.