KTC fire victims in festive season limbo

Victims of a fire that swept through the KTC shanty town are facing a bleak festive season.

The fire, on Thursday November 30, destroyed about six shacks and left about 19 people homeless, according to City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse.

No injuries were reported.

The victims were attempting to rebuild when Vukani visited the scene. One of them, Zoleka Ngadlela, blamed another resident for the fire, saying it started in her shack because she had left a two-burner stove plugged in during load shedding, and she was also to blame for several previous fires.

“I am sorry, but we do not want her here. She must go back to Khayelitsha where she comes from. This woman is here to destroy us," said Ms Ngadlela.

"We have alerted the leadership including the local councillor about her. She also knows that she is a problem. I am saying this in front of her. In the last incidents, I supported her while the residents wanted her out. She must go."

Ms Ngadlela said the fire had started at around 4am and spread quickly, engulfing the shacks and making it hard to save anything.

She said she had been due to leave for the Eastern Cape but now could no longer do so.

"People have nothing now, and we must restart life again. It is the festive season. Some of us are supposed to go to the Eastern Cape and traditions and cultures, but all that is gone. All what we worked for is gone."

The woman Ms Ngadlela blamed for causing the fire was in tears as she apologised to ward councillor Suzan Zumana and the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) secretary Lumkile Msila. 

However, Ms Zumana she had not heard any previous complaints about the woman and she called for calm, saying “I see the residents are angry at her, but we need to calm down and see what help we can get. For us now is to try and get help for the victims. We need level heads right now."

She appealed to anyone who could help the fire victims to come forward.

Mr Msila said the government should also carry blame for the fire. "It should have long built houses for these people. This is not on. People need proper houses."