The residents of Kameeldrift, Tshwane lost everything when strong winds ignited a fire from the dumping site destroying at least 90 shacks last night, leaving scores without shelter.
The residents said the fire started from a nearby dumping site when the strong winds blew it towards the informational settlement on Wednesday night between 9:30 and 10 pm, witnesses have said.
Florina Mojela said the fire spread rapidly due to the strong winds and she lost everything in the blaze and was still traumatised from the experience.
“It was between 21:30 and 22:00, I had just finished bathing and there was a strong wind and it felt as though the shack was going to be blown away. I went outside to check what was happening when I saw papers with flames flying towards us.
“A white man had earlier thrown newspapers at the nearby dumping site and we were refusing but he insisted and dumped them there anyway. The papers had flames because someone had set them alight to clear the dumping site.
“When the wind started to blow, the papers were blown towards the shacks and the fire started. The fire was like an airplane flying towards us. There was also a car there as well, it also blew up and burned more shacks.
“I was screaming for help saying come and help grandmother the shack is burning. There was wood so that also made the fire spread even faster. I lost everything, my pots, clothes,blankets and beds. I lost everything.
“There was wind that was very strong. I am scared and traumatised. I am even cold. I am wearing a blanket. There was also a hailstorm when all of this was happening,” said Mojela.
When Newsnote visited the area on Wednesday, residents had embarked on a mop up operation trying to salvage what was left behind in the rubble. Most of the shacks were completely destroyed and there was nothing left inside.
A resident, Petros Mahlangu also confirmed that their fire started at the nearby dumping site and the wind blew the rubbish toward their shacks.
Mahlangu, who was with his wife and their toddler, said they don’t know where they are going to sleep after losing everything in the devastating fire.
“Today, we have nowhere to go. It will be the same as yesterday. We didn’t sleep yesterday which means even today we will sleep on our chairs. If we don’t get assistance we will not be able to do anything. I am devastated.
“I am hurt because I have a child and we got out running for safety. We decide to leave all our belongings because our lives come first. If we tried to save our belongings we were going to get burned because the fire was being blown by a very strong wind,” said Mahlangu.
Another resident, Sarah Mothiba who shared a shack with her 17-year-old daughter, her 2-year-old son and her 5-month-old grandchild said they sought shelter at the police station and Emergency Services pitched up after an hour to extinguish the blaze.
“It was about 21:00 and we were asleep. I woke up my daughter and her child when the fire started. I told her to put her baby on her back and I will carry my toddler. We ran towards the police station and a lot of people started to gather at the police station.
“When we were at the police station some residents were calling us to inform us that a lot of shacks were on fire. At the police station they called emergency services and they only came after about an hour. They came anyway, extinguished the fire and took us to the community halls,” said Mathiba.”
Mathiba said they lost everything in the fire including her chronic medication.
“I was so scared. I have not seen anything like this. I have not seen anything like this in my life. I lost everything. My ID, my children’s birth certificates are gone. I am currently on chronic medication and my pills are also gone. I don’t know where I am going to get my medication,” cried Mathiba.
Local councilor Freddy Pienaar said they are trying to assist those affected by the fire but would look to Social Development to assist in terms of food and blankets.
“The Housing Department must also participate to provide alternative accommodation in the interim. That means that they can possibly be stationed at the community halls and church halls as immediate intervention and then after that we will negotiate with the departments to see if we can provide materials to rebuild,” Pienaar.
