A family from Onekaku village in the Uukwiyuushona constituency of Oshana region lost its entire harvest after a mysterious fire broke out this week.
The fire happened on Wednesday evening while the family was asleep. This was the sixth time that the homestead of Zakaria Alfeus was engulfed by fire.
The first incident happened in 2017 when the whole homestead burned to ashes. This was followed by a 2019 fire that left five huts destroyed. This year alone, the house burned down four times.
According to the constituency councillor Andreas Amundjindi the family lost all their belongings and no one knows the cause of the fire.
“That house burned down six times and nobody knows what caused the fire – it mostly started at night when everyone was fast asleep,” explained the councillor.
He said the family was now forced to sleep in the mahangu field as the fire ravaged most of the structures. “I am now urging good Samaritans to assist this family with either a tent or blankets because it is cold and they have not been left with anything,” he said.
The councillor explained that his office has provided the family with food. However, he said, the family is in need of building material because they do not have an income.
“This is shocking, firstly they were accusing the children of playing with fire and burned the house but later they realised that it is a mysterious fire,” he said.