Cape Town - Two people were killed and dozens left homeless after separate fires destroyed their homes in Dunoon and Philippi at the weekend.
Unathi Zonke, 22, died when he was trapped inside his home in Dunoon. His mother, Veliswa Zonke, said she was hurt and traumatised after seeing her son's body.
“I heard people shouting and screaming that there was fire, I woke up and quickly ran to my son's shack because the fire was coming from the back of his shack. We tried to open his door and it was locked.
“I heard people saying my son was on the other side trying to stop the fire, but we kept on banging his door because I was panicking (when I did not see) him around,” she said.
The last thing his family remembers was that someone had asked him for a lighter during the early hours of the morning.
His mother described him as good person who respected everyone in the community
“He never wronged anyone. If you ask him to do something he would do it immediately.”
About 100 residents of Siyahlala section C were left homeless after the fire spread.
One resident, Thembisa Gxumisa, 32, said that when she woke up, her house was on fire.
“I could not take anything out of my shack, all my belongings were burnt. I only managed to take out my two children. I don’t know what to do or where to go now, I am only left with these clothes I’m wearing right now,” a worried Gxumisa said.
Unemployed Amanda Tyesi, 23, said she was worried because she was left with no clothes and no food for her children. She depends on her children's social grants.
“I am really hurt because I have nothing left, my little son is wearing the same nappy he was wearing yesterday, I don't have money to buy him another one.
Ward committee member Meisie Mpukane said she was not happy about the fires in the area because it was not the first time.
She said they had been living without electricity and toilets for 10 years.
“These people are treated as non-South Africans and the City Council seems to be relaxed about this issue.
“The City Council should provide these people with proper land and decent houses, not decent shacks.
“The service is poor, residents go to the railway line to relieve themselves.”
City of Cape Town spokeswoman Priya Reddy referred the Cape Argus to fire and rescue services spokesman Theo Layne for comment.
Layne said one man had died and 120 people had been displaced in Dunoon .
Meanwhile in the Marikana informal settlement in Philippi, one man burned to death. The causes of both fires were “undetermined” and the incidents had been handed over to the police, Layne said.
Cape Argus