Mercury: 400 homeless as fire sweeps through shacks

http://www.themercury.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20100427074119318C449563

400 homeless as fire sweeps through shacks
27 April 2010, 07:41
By Gugu Mbonambi and Nompumelelo Magwaza

About 150 shacks were destroyed in a fire at the Kennedy Road informal settlement in Clare Estate in one of five blazes which kept firefighters in Durban on their toes yesterday.

About 400 residents were left homeless by the third fire at the settlement this year.

Nobody was injured in yesterday’s blaze, which started when an unattended paraffin stove exploded at about 8am.

Most people had left for work when the fire started, but rushed to the scene to try to salvage their belongings after hearing of the fire from news reports.

Others were alerted by neighbours.

Zolile Jili, 25, said he was left with the clothes on his back.

Gugu Mzizi, 31, was similarly despondent.

“I have lived here for over 10 years and I never know when my shack will burn down,” she said.

Identity documents, cellphones, school books, and grant and bank cards were among the important items lost by residents.

Ward councillor Yacoob Baig said he had arranged for food and tents to be supplied.

Baig said he was continuously applying pressure on the eThekwini municipality to provide housing for residents.

Elsewhere in the city, firefighters battled veld fires on the Bluff and in Chatsworth, Congella and Mobeni.

Rake Jeeves, of the Bluff’s Community Safety Organisation, said a fire had destroyed the valley between Harlequins and the caravan park.

Fire department divisional commander Ntuthuko Mathe said firefighters had responded to several blazes.

“We are approaching the fire season and we would like to warn people not to carelessly throw glowing cigarette ends into bushes and dry areas.”

* This article was originally published on page 3 of The Mercury on April 27, 2010