Cape Town - More than one thousand fire victims, including matric pupils, are picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild their homes after a tragic blaze gutted their shacks yesterday at Masiphumelele informal settlement.
The fire reportedly started at one shack where no one was at home and swiftly spread, destroying about 600 homes and slightly injuring two firefighters and six dogs. No fatalities have been reported.
Spokesperson for the City's Fire and Rescue Services Jermaine Carelse said: “At about 9.40am on November 21, firefighters stationed at Kommetjie Road saw smoke emitting from the Masiphumelele area. When crews responded, they found several informal structures alight, but SAPS and Law Enforcement had to be called in when members of the community tried to interfere with the work of the firefighters.The fire was extinguished at about 5.40pm. Two firefighters were injured whilst performing their duties and taken to hospital.”
Victims, mostly unemployed, slept at a community hall, and said they were in dire need of help with material, clothing and food.
Nomfuneko Ndlabathi, 42, who lives next door to where the fire started, said: “We think the electricity meter box exploded because no one was at home, the neighbour left earlier.
“We tried to put the fire out, but it was just uncontrollable and we watched every single home perish. We are broken.”
Another victim, Nombuso Mshuqulu, 41, broke into tears saying: “I have struggled for many years to raise my children, now I finally have a child in matric who I pray will rescue us from this poverty one day and all her books are now gone. I am drained. I don’t have strength to do anything any more. Life at Masiphumelele is very hard and no one seems to care. What is to become of our children’s future now? My 3-year-old is hungry and asking if we are going to have our house and clothes again, it hurts so much.”
Sonica Lategan of the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre said they were registering affected persons.
“Initial assessments indicated infrastructural damage to electrical overhead lines, water taps and toilets. Various City departments are on site, including Electricity, Solid Waste Management and Water and Sanitation,” said Lategan.
This is the second massive fire in the area following a fatal blaze that killed a man and left hundreds homeless on October 31.
For donations, call Nombuso Mshuqulu at 078 470 0919 or Nomfuneko Ndlabathi at 076 117 6519.