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News - Date: 16 June 2006
A shop owner witnessed much of his effort going up in smoke when a fire destroyed his shop in Eltivillas.
The fire started on Thursday (8th) at around 01:00 and destroyed the Star Fruit Shop and Supermarket of Mr Omar Kalla.
“We presume it was an electrical fault,” Mr Kalla said.
The estimated damage is about R100 000 and stock and equipment was lost.
“Our neighbours at home are from Cycle Centre. They phoned me and said my shop was on fire. I came straight away. The fire brigade was very efficient. The security company had already broken down the door and started distinguishing the fire. The company and the fire brigade did a tremendous job,” said Mr Kalla.
Fortunately the fire did not spread through to the take-away section which was soon up and running again. There was a partition between the shop and the take-away restaurant, which is run by Ms Zurayda Kalla, Omar’s wife.
About his experience of seeing the shop on fire, Mr Kalla said, “It was very hard - a lot of sweat and effort goes up in smoke. But what can you do? It’s God’s will. We thank God, it could have been much worse.”
The Star Fruit Shop and Supermarket had no insurance. Mr Kalla said it would have taken long to start with repairs if they first had to wait for the insurance assessors. The renovation teams were already busy with the repairs and Mr Kalla expected it to be completed in 10 days’ time.
The history of Star Fruit Shop dates back to 1944, when Omar’s father, the late Joosub Hassim Kalla, started it on the corner of Burger and Louis Trichardt Streets. That is also where Omar was born, right there in the house at the back of the shop.
“When my brothers and I left school, we took over. We moved to Eltivillas in 1978,” Kalla said.
Linda van der Westhuizen has been with Zoutnet since 2001. She has a heart for God, people and their stories. Linda believes that every person is unique and has a special story to tell. It follows logically that human interest stories is her speciality. Linda finds working with people and their leaders in the economic, educational, spiritual and political arena very rewarding. “I have a special interest in what God is doing in our town, province and nation and what He wants us to become,” says Linda.
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