The Family of a seven-year-old who died in a blaze in Cemetery View Informal Settlement watched in horror as she screamed for help as the fire ripped through the plastic shack while her father tried in vain to beat the blazing fire to rescue his daughter.
The child – Selena Leoma became one of the three victims of the tragic fire that has devastated the community, destroyed 300 shacks and left 2 000 people homeless.
Selena’s father, Mafa Leoma said he was at the shops when the fire broke out and he ran back home and tried to assist his daughter get out of the raging fire but the flames were too strong.
“The fire started at the shack next door to mine. I was at the shop to go get paraffin. While I was at the shop, I was informed that the shacks were burning. I came rushing back and upon my arrival my shack was already on fire.
“I started searching for my children then I got their mother and she tried to go inside but there was already a fire in the shack. I tried to remove the plastic shack so I could go inside but I couldn’t. I kept calling my baby girl and she was responding. But once the fire spread throughout the shack I could hear her crying. She was crying for help,” said the grieving father.
Leoma, his wife and their 1-year-old managed to escape the fire where Selena perished and he said the tragedy has shattered the family and he wailed that ‘I am hurt. I am very hurt. That was my first born. I am in pain but there is nothing I can do’.
The family is pleading for assistance to bury their daughter and said they are not able to make any funeral arrangements because they do not have the funds to start the process.
“We have not received any assistance with the funeral arrangements. We would really appreciate any help we can get,” said Leoma.
The City of Tshwane said it has mobilised resources and activated a humanitarian and social relief plan including Jojo tanks, chemical toilets and water tanks.
Tshwane’s Community and Social Development Department is said to be coordinating social relief efforts with other stakeholders to ensure the provision of food and other related services are provided.
However, residents of Cemetery View Informal Settlement are thwarting efforts by the City to relocate them in temporary shelters in Mamelodi saying the place is too far from work opportunities and for them to commute.
They opted to start rebuilding their plastic shacks again next to the Pretoria East Cemetery and the Woodlands Mall where their previous structures stood before they were gutted by the fire a few days ago.
The municipality said it had arranged alternative accommodation at the Stanza Bopape Hall in Mamelodi East, and Mamelodi West community hall while it was in negotiations with local churches.
A resident who only identified himself as Alice said moving to Mamelodi is just not an option and she cited financial constraints as her reason not to move to a better place.
“We won’t be able to go to Mamelodi. There are no jobs in Mamelodi. There are job opportunities this side so moving there would mean we will need money for transport to get here. We won’t be able to go to Mamelodi.
“We can’t, we don’t have money. Sometimes we get piece jobs twice a week or three days so that money won’t be enough for us to survive and send money to our children at home. We won’t be able to afford it,” said Alice.
Mosiuoa Moseme said they have been living at the informal settlement for over 10 years and they are working in the area so they won’t be able to move.
“I have been living here since 2013 and this is not the first time shacks burned down but we survived. But this incident is bad. We lost everything. We are impoverished. We are struggling even getting these sticks to rebuild our shack is a struggle.
“Our money also burned down. We would like to go to Mamelodi because it is safe, but we will be far from our jobs. Most of us are working around this area. Mamelodi transport is going to be expensive for us and we will eventually be expected to pay rent. Jobs are also very scarce on that side,” he added.
Sarah Seloma also complained that moving to another area will not be ideal because she won’t have money for transport to travel home everyday.
“So where am I going to get money to travel to Mamelodi everyday? Most people lost everything, even their purses, so they won’t be able to travel. The people I work for don’t care that my plastic shack burned down. They don’t care if they take us to Mamelodi tomorrow and we won’t be able to work.
“If I don’t go to work it will be a problem. My employers complain when I have to go to the clinic for a check up for my injury on my leg so I can’t miss work tomorrow. My bosses won’t care”.
