Cape Town - Residents of Wupperthal, affected by a devastating fire on Sunday, are slowly picking up the pieces as aid continues to stream in from various organisations and civil society.
But a lot more is needed, as the fire almost completely destroyed the historic hamlet, leaving hundreds of residents destitute.
To help, a benefit concert is to be held at the Pentecostal Rapha Church in Balvenie Avenue, Elsies River, on Saturday.
The event is being organised by gospel singer Adrian Dampies, who said: “When I received news about the fire, I knew I had to do something to help those residents and then we started planning the concert.”
The blaze, which flared on Sunday, gutted the Wupperthal Moravian Mission Station, the local clinic, school, town hall and a number of homes.
Since then, emergency services from the Western Cape Department of Health have been working around the clock to assist victims and have been placed on standby where required.
“What we want to achieve through this concert is to give those residents some hope and to make sure they are looked after. We want this to be an eye-opener for everyone,” he said.
The concert is free and Dampies is encouraging those attending to bring food and blankets.
Gospel singer Charisma Hanekam and singer Joshua Jansen will also be performing.
LOOK: A benefit concert will be held this Saturday for the residents of #Wupperthal who lost everything in a tragic fire on Sunday. @TheCapeArgus @IOL pic.twitter.com/o0RLqDvSvT
— Marvin Charles (@MarvinCharles17) January 3, 2019
Hanekam grew up at the Wupperthal Moravian Mission Station. Her family home and her uncle’s home were gutted in the fire.
“My parents called me and said that it looks like a ghost town. We want to reach out to people. It can happen to anyone and we want to support the people of Wupperthal,” she said.
Hanekam is currently producing a single, Heal our Land, and will be using the single to raise funds for Wupperthal.
“This will not be ending here on Saturday. We will be going all the way to help raise awareness for this community,” she said.
A police investigation is under way into the possibility of arson being responsible for the devastating fire. Nearly 50 buildings were destroyed, leaving about 200 people destitute.
The concert starts at 6pm. For more information, call Dampies on 0815433362.