By Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 30th November 2023)- Having lived at his residence in the West Basseterre community for forty-one (41) years, Leon ‘Lebo’ Mathew is saddened about the situation yet hopeful that one day he will be able to rebuild his two-bedroom home lost in a recent fire incident.
At a handover ceremony held on Thursday 30th November 2023, on site of the burnt property in Russell Village, he was the recipient of groceries and toiletries donated by Pyramid Security Consultancy who partnered with the police in the communityassistance outreach. “I appreciate this”, commented Mathew having received the items.
According to him: “I can’t do nothing about it [right now] but I give God thanks and praise for life.” He is presently staying with a sister who lives nearby. Mathew is of the opinion that “idle hands” are to blame for what he suspects to be a case of arson.
The house fire took place on Friday 24th November, totally destroying the wood and concrete structure occupied by the elderly man. “Everything bun up. I aint had no current in de house and me ain’t cook de Thursday nor de Friday so me ain’t leave on nothing and I don’t leave on nothing.
I stay here and be happy and some ignorant person… some willful youth [did this].” Asked how he felt about the house fire, he commented: “Sad. I just hold down me head and said ‘Lord, Father God’… I [raised] up me [four] children in dis house… me and dey mother.
I here on me own 23 years now …I ain’t disturbing nobody; me and everybody good.” As gathered, he was not at home when the fire incident took place at about 2:30 PM that day. “I was out dere by de lady who does sell local drinks sitting down…” He went on to share that he and a friend we “Went Camps to pick up a grill; we aint even spend half an hour”.
He said by the time he came back he found out his house was on fire. Speaking about his hope to rebuild at some point, Mathew said: “As long as I get the help; the support, I got guys out there who are willing too; they keep telling me whenever I’m ready I should let dem know.” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pyramid Security Consultancy Kai Jareth Liburd commented: “We are villagers helping to rebuild villagers in the time of need so we got you …we will do whatever recovery efforts we can to help you back on your feet.
It’s tragic what happened to you. I condemn any acts of violence and crime and I hope the person comes to term with themselves and would admit and confess to the police what they did so you can move past because It’s hard for somebody to work all the days of their lives and in their old age to just lose it all…but everybody got you, the inspector,, the police force.” Police Inspector Alrick Edwards-who is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Pyramid Security Consultancy-highlighted that his cousin CEO Liburd reached out to him about making such a donation.
“This morning we are gathered here this morning to show Leon ‘Lebo’ Mathew. I know ‘Lebo’ since I was a young footballer in de Village…[Weare here] to show support and give him a step on the road to recovery. We know that what he has lost and what we’re doing can’t compare but it’s a good gesture…” “…because I know the [Police] Commissioner’s mandate is to have a better community policing initiative with the community, I decided to reach out to Sergeant [Charmaine] Audain ‘who is the sergeant in charge of the National Intervention Team to be here as she is the person responsible for community policing in the police force in general.” For persons interested in making donations, Mathew shared that he is usually close by in the area.
His phone was destroyed in the fire. Asked if his choice to remain nearby is because he wants to remain close to home, he expressed: “Yeah, I miss home, I miss home. I could have go down by me daughter- – LOCAL NEWS –
in-law and me son because they tell me ‘Sine Friday we looking for you’… I tell dem I might come but a just stay nearby. Me aint looking for nothing but just cleaning up de place…” As understood, over the years, he has been his own maintenance and repair man as he has been in the construction field since he was 19-years-old. 3
Front Page Image: Leon ‘Lebo’ Mathew seen having a moment to himself close to the charred remains of his Russell Village home on Thursday 30th November 2023 days almost a week after a house fire (Spokesman Snap)
