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Fire guts homes of 2 000
Durban blamed for not building houses

July 05, 2010 Edition 1

MPUME MADLALA

‘I will never forget the sight of those burnt bodies as long as I live,” said Sanele Mbambo, who helped pull out the remains of two people at the Kennedy Road informal settlement after a fire destroyed more than 500 shacks early yesterday morning.

The fire, believed to have been started by a candle, had left 2 000 people displaced, said police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker.

Most were left with only the clothes on their backs.

Residents are angry, questioning why proper homes had not been built and blaming the fast-spreading fire on cramped conditions and a lack of facililities.

Mbambo said he had been sleeping at 3:30am when he was woken by people screaming. When he opened his door, he found the frame on fire. “I poured water around the door and fortunately the flames died down,” he said.

Mbambo said people came asking for help as there were people buried under the rubble of their shacks.

“The first we pulled out was an elderly man who was burnt really badly. He may have been burnt while sleeping, but by the time we pulled him out at 6:30am, he had already died. The sad thing he was all alone in his shack,” he said.

The next body they pulled out was also that of a man.

“It was really sad to see because for a long time we have been asking our government to do something about our living conditions.

“Lives have been lost here today and, if we all had proper homes, it would not have happened. I am just disappointed that I have even lost count of the number of times that shacks have been burnt in this informal settlement,” he said.

Barely able to contain her tears was Nomusa Nguse who narrowly missed being engulfed by flames with her two-month-old baby, Sphelele.

“I just cannot believe this is happening again. I was sleeping when the fire started; it was only when I felt unbearable heat that I woke up to see that the fire was burning the shack next to mine and was heading my direction.

“I just grabbed my baby and went to the street where I found many others waiting,” she said.

Nguse said she and her baby had been left with nothing as she had not have time to pack anything for her baby. She was afraid that she might have lost her uncle during the ordeal.

“He only had one leg and I really don’t think he made it because he could not walk properly. I heard that two people died and because I have not seen him, he must have been the other one.

“Is this we voted for? Here in the shacks, we live terrible lives and I don’t think the government sees us as human beings. It’s only when we have to vote that they care about us and it is not right,” she said.

Thandeka Hlatshwayo, who sat at the side of the road holding her four-month-old baby brother, Nhlanhla, said she was shocked at how quickly the fire spread.

“One moment we were looking at the fire from a distance. We really did not think that it would reach our shacks, but it did.

“We all almost died in there and looking at the damage we are grateful to be alive,” she said.

Others said they were not going to give up on life, but had given up hoping the government would ever give them homes.

“They have no shame for using us just to get votes and then live us to continue with our suffering. It’s not nice to live the way we do, but we try. We will not give up on life, but our government has really failed us,” said Innocent Ndlovu who also lost everything.

Mnikelo Ndabankulu, spokesman for homeless organisation Abahlali BaseMjondolo, said this time they wanted the municipality to do more than just make promises, as they did every time there was a shack fire.

“They promised to build roads within the informal settlement and that has not been done. What our people need are proper houses with electricity and water. If they had those things we would not have so many fires. Forgetting is natural and we can’t blame people for forgetting their candles. It would be different if they forgot to switch off their legal electricity, nothing would catch fire,” he said.

Ndbankulu said that since 1994 people had been promised proper homes: “We want to know who must give out the order before these homes are built. How many people must die before we see houses?

“The country can afford to build stadiums that cost billions, but what about their people? Things must change,” he said.

The homeless would be put into a massive tent while they rebuilt their lives, said Ndabankulu.

He said that instead of being offered temporary, one-roomed tin houses by the council, the people should receive the materials to build their own homes, which had several rooms.

Anyone wanting to help can contact Ndabankulu at 079 745 0653 or their office at 031 304 6420.