Dwellers concerned with shack fires
28 April 2010 – 15:30
By Lauren Holly
As winter draws nearer, the shack dwellers movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, is concerned about a possible increase in shack fires.
It’s been commenting after a fire gutted around 200 dwellings at the Kennedy Road informal settlement on Monday.
The movement’s Sbu Zikode says it’s believed that the fire was started by a paraffin stove which had been left unattended. This comes just a week after 200 other houses were destroyed by another stove fire in Cato Manor.
Zikode says they’re calling upon community members to be responsible with their heating.
But he says the problem comes down to the number of people still living in shacks without basic services, “People have to use these explosive devises because they don’t have electricity. And obviously eThekwini municipality is the only municipality in the country that forbids and that [does] not allow any electrification of informal settlements.”
The Paraffin Safety Association is also concerned about these fires.
The association’s Naomi Gaines has given this advice to those living in informal settlements, “Never leave your appliances unattended. Keep your paraffin up and away from children. And keep the air in your home clean and safe. Have a window open or some kind of ventilation.”