A Bonteheuwel ward councillor is urging residents to help a family who lost their source of income in a fire at their house last week.
Mogamat Hossain Stemmet, and his son, Edward Rajap, ran a bicycle repair shop from a wendy house in the back yard of their Assegaai Avenue property, in Bonteheuwel.
Mr Stemmet said that at about 5pm on Sunday June 17, while they were having supper in the main house, his grandchild came inside and told him that a fire had started in the yard.
“I could only pull out one car and throw one bucket of water.
“When I came back to pull out the other car and throw another bucket of water on the fire, I had to turn around and the other car burnt out,” he said.
Mr Stemmet said that by the time the fire brigade arrived everything had already been burnt down, including his son’s wendy house.
He said that all his belongings, as well as his son’s and grandsons’ belongings had been destroyed in the fire.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesman, Theo Layne, confirmed the incident, explaining that two formal dwellings and one informal structure had been destroyed in the fire.
“Three people suffered smoke inhalation but refused to go to hospital. The cause of the fire is undetermined,” he said.
Mr Stemmet said he started the bicycle repair shop about five years ago — and among the items destroyed by the fire were bicycle tyres.
“I have to think of another plan now. All my tools were damaged. All the tyres are burnt out. Now I have to start over again,” he said.
Ward 50 councillor Angus Mckenzie said donations for the family can be dropped off at the property or at the sub-council office on the corner of Kiaat and Jakkelsvlei Avenue, Bonteheuwel.