News Release

Fire Kills Family as BYU Golfers Paint Retardant in Cape Town

BYU Womens Golf partners with Imizamo Yethu Informal Settlement Shelter Fire-proof Painting, the same day a fire takes 9 lives in Cape Town.

Eight people, including three children, were killed in a house fire in Mitchells Plain on Saturday morning, the city’s emergency services said.

Spokesperson Liezl Moodie said firefighters were called to the burning house on Macbeth Street, East Ridge just after 8:30 am.

Three women, two men, three male children and one baby girl died.

Another four were taken to the nearby hospitals for treatment.

Approximately 75 volunteers, Latter-day Saints from Cape Town, joined the BYU golf team who were touring in South Africa. 

Ashley Stemmet and his team from Khusela Ikhaya had organised the event which was part of their overall initiative to paint the shacks at informal settlements with a fireproof paint to reduce the risk of fire, damage, and the loss it causes.  They are trying to decrease the number of deaths.  Painting more than 50 homes this day, the organization has been involved in painting over 1000 homes this past year in the western cape. The paint lasts over 3 years.

Brigham Young is a University in the United States and is sponsored by the Church. Their students live by a set of values that prepares them for service.  They believe that Latter-day Saints, (Mormons), should serve as Jesus Christ did. 

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