Mysterious fires terrorise Palapye�s Willie family

Koketso Kgoboge | Monday March 30, 2015 16:14

As recently as last Friday, the fires charred the family of seven’s remaining two blankets.

A family member, Mmaseji Willie, said the inexplicable fires begin spontaneously either inside the houses or just anywhere outside.  She said the outbreak began in December 2014 when one of the rondavels in the yard burned down, after it caught the rapidly spreading fires.

“The fire was so strong that even the volunteers could not help to put it off.  “After that, it disappeared until this month when we started experiencing the fires again and they have become more frequent this time,” said Willie, adding that lately the fires have been erupting in other rooms in the yard.

“The fires moved into all other rooms in the yard and have burnt everything we had; there is not even a bed in this yard anymore,” said Willie, referring to last Friday incident. Willie further said in the beginning they have sought the Fire Department’s help to extinguish the fires, which erupted and became even more intense once the fire truck reversed out of the yard. She also said the district commissioner’s office has assisted the family with food baskets to sustain themselves.“We have given up because these days the fires are too strong that when we call them (The Fire Department), they only arrive to find things burnt to ashes.

“The social worker has agreed to assist us with a monthly food basket, but every time we bring the food here it get burnt before we even cook it,” said Willie.

Her younger sister, Maipelo Barrel said earlier in the week while she was preparing family dinner, a mysterious assailant cut her hair.“I heard a sound like a clipper and vibrations in my head and immediately I rushed out to my sister and asked her to check what was on my head.

“She told me a part of my hair was cut. I do not know what cut my hair and the experience was frightening,” said Barrel.

Furthermore Barrel said the family lives in fear of the unknown and the whole predicament has affected the kids so much that every time darkness approaches, they cry, fearful of sleeping.