Hundreds of hartseer Strandontein residents held a vigil for Ruth September and daughter Kirsten who died tragically in a blaze which ripped through their home this week.
Residents along with City of Cape Town firefighters and various community organisations gathered at the tragic scene in Gate Green Road on Wednesday night where they lit candles and said prayers for the grieving family.
The passing of mom Ruth and 17-year-old Kirsten has left the community distraught.
Grandfather Samuel, 68, explained his son Gary and the couple’s older daughter Michaela survived the fire which engulfed their double-storey home in the early hours of Monday.
Gary was subsequently hospitalised after he suffered burns while trying to rescue his wife and daughter.
Sandy Schuter of the Community Police Forum says the residents gathered to honour their memory.
“The community is heartbroken and we saw between 200 and 300 residents come out to pray and sympathise with the family. Firefighters also came to share their condolences for the tragic loss. This tragedy has left us all feeling helpless and saddened.
“The mother and daughter were well-known and loved by many. The impact is immense, with many residents struggling to come to terms with the loss.The community is rallying around them, offering assistance and comfort in any way possible.
“The Strandfontein Safety Structures together with the Ward Councillor, Elton Jansen, hosted a candlelight memorial on Wednesday evening at the site to pay tribute to the family who lost their lives in the devastating fire and to offer our support to the family, who was present at the memorial,” says Schuter.
She says the memorial was led by Jansen, and the community showed solidarity, with residents offering words of encouragement to the family.
Samuel says the family was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support as they come to grips with the loss of Ruth and Kirsten.
“There were hundreds of people and as the family we really appreciate all the support from the community. We enjoyed every minute of the memorial and it was dramatic to be back at the scene of the incident staring at the burnt house but we could see that Ruth and Kirsten were well loved and the amount of people who came out is a testament to the people they were.”
He says Gary has been discharged from hospital and is dealing with the death of his wife and daughter.
“He is trying to stay strong but I can see this is very heavy on him. At this stage we have handed the house over to the insurance assessors but we are aware that the City building inspector is worried about the structure.
“At this stage no funeral arrangements have been made as we are waiting for Ruth’s two brothers to arrive from New Zealand. We also have to go for the DNA tests [today] and have to wait for that to be completed before we can make the arrangements.”
monique.duval@inl.co.za