More than a thousand people have been left stranded after their homes were destroyed in a fire.
Hundreds of shacks were destroyed at the Kayamandi informal settlement in Stellenbosch on Saturday morning when the fire, fanned by strong winds, broke out at around 11am.
On Sunday, residents returned to salvage what they could from the rubble.
Ntatheng Lehlapa said she was at home when she smelled smoke and went to investigate, and found her neighbour’s shack was ablaze.
“I was told that my neighbour went to his shack to cook meat and left the pot on the stove and then went to drink. He wasn’t even aware of the fire until people went to get him.”
But Masiphile Mbuku said the fire is not his fault.
“I was drinking with my neighbours and people came to tell me my shack was alight, people went to my shack and kicked the door in, the fire was near the bed and not where the stove was.
“I was not responsible for the blaze. I really don’t know what started the fire.”
Fire victim Gabisile Nkani said gale-force winds made everything worse.
“If the wind wasn’t blowing like that then things would have turned out differently. The fire spread very quickly.
“At first it was only five homes, and then more shacks were on fire. We had a fire in January and now just a few months later we have to rebuild our homes. The street here is named Fire Street because of the incidents we’ve had.”
Local councillor Ayanda Tomose said they were assisting the victims.
“We still need to count the homes which were gutted and then after that we will know the exact number of people affected.
“This will also help with the fire kits which consist of building materials, supplies for children, blankets and toiletries and sponge mattresses.”
Gift of the Givers representative Ali Sablay said they received calls for help from community members.
“The weather warnings went from level 6 to 9 as the strong winds were picking up and the people had to be evacuated for their safety,” he says.
“They have already lost their belongings and we are trying to prevent the loss of life because of the metal sheets blowing around.
“We will remain on the ground and assist with the blankets, warm meals and all the relevant items. The main concern is as the weather pattern intensifies today with heavy storms, they will have to stay in the halls until the place is declared safe. We are on standby for any further disasters.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za