Worst Fire to Ever Hit Kennedy Road

Update, Monday 30 April: 5 people are now unaccounted for after the fire. Two people are confirmed dead.

It is difficult to get precise information in the initial confusion but:

at least two people are dead
at least 75 homes are destroyed
at least 100 families are homeless and many have lost all that they own
at least 400 people have been made homeless

As with each fire in each settlement it has to be pointed out that these are not acts of God. This suffering is avoidable and it happens because, as the eThekwini Municipality's electricity policy states, "In the past (1990s) electrification was rolled out to all and sundry…because of the lack of funding…electrification of the informal settlements has been discontinued." There's plenty of money for a loss making theme park or a loss making A1 Grand Prix but not for the poor to be able to live without the fear of constant fires.

People have come from Abahlali settlements across Durban and Pinetown to help with clearing up, salvaging of building material that can be beaten back into shape and the rebuilding.

For comment or to offer support – food, blankets, building materials, medical assistance – please contact Zama Ndlovu on 0833305392 or Thelumusa Lembede 0766837751.

http://www.isolezwe.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3807208

Basale dengwane kusha imijondolo

April 30, 2007 Edition 1

PHILI MJOLI

ISIPHENDUKE intandane ingane enezinyanga eziyithupha ephonswe unina ngaphandle komjondolo obugqamuka amalangabi adlule nomphefumulo kanina kuKennedy Road, eThekwini, ngoMgqibelo ebusuku.

Kuthiwa uNksz Bheni Mhlakwane ongowokudabuka eMatatiela, eMpumalanga Kapa, ushe wangqonga nomjondolo wakhe ngemuva kokuphonsa ingane kuyise obengaphandle. Ibalelwa ku-100 imijondolo eshile kule ndawo nosekushiye inqwaba yabantu bengenandawo.

Okhulumela laba bahlali, uMnuz Thelumusa Lembede, uthe uNksz Mhlakwane unele wezwa kuthiwa kuyasha waphuma ngesamagundane. Uthe esesemnyango, wakhumbula ingane yakhe, waphindela ngaphakathi wabhodloza umjondolo endaweni ebingakashi wadonsa ingane wayiphonsa ngaphandle.

"Sithe sisalindele ukuthi aphume ngaleyo ntuba abeyivulile, wangaphuma. Uyise wengane ungene kuwo lo mjondolo uvutha ngentuba ephume ingane, wangamtho-la, kanti uphume ngenye intuba washa wafela khona lapho," kusho uLembede.

Akuyena yedwa uNksz Mhlakwane ofe ngesikhathi kusha le mijondolo. NoMnuz Ephraim Phungula okusolwa ukuthi ubelele ushonele khona lapho.

"UPhungula akazange avuke ngesikhathi kumenyezwa kuthiwa kuyasha, size sabona sekucishwe umlilo ukuthi ubengaphakathi endlini," kusho uLembede.

UNksz Dora Zulu, ongumama wezingane eziyisishiyagalolunye ubesahleli phansi kompheme osalile ngesikhathi kusha.

"Sisele nesikugqokile kuphela, nakuleli hholo esilala kulo ngilala ngezingubo zabasindile. Okubuhlungu ukuthi nginosana olunezinyanga ezine nalo olusele nelikugqokile kuphela," kusho uNksz Zulu.

UMnuz Jacoob Baig oyikhansela lakule ndawo, uthe akekho eThekwini useGoli ezihlotsheni zakhe ebezivelelwe umshophi, kodwa wethembisa ukuthi namhlanje uzozama ukuthi abathintekile batholelwe usizo oluphuthumayo lwezingubo nokudla.

"UMkhandlu unohlelo lwezimo eziphuthumayo lokusiza abasuke besele dengwane ngizothintana nekomiti elikule ndawo libe lingibhalela umbiko ngokwenzekile kanye nenamba yabathintekayo ukuze ngikwazi ukubafaka kulolu hlelo kusasa (namhlanje)," kusho uBaig.

Okhulumela amaphoyisa kulesi sifundazwe uSupt Vincent Mdunge uthe lolu daba lubikiwe emaphoyiseni.

"Amaphoyisa athole izidumbu ezintathu kule mijondolo, abesilisa ababili nowesifazane," kusho uMdunge.