Khayelitsha fire leaves 150 families homeless

A young man, allegedly on drugs, from Khayelitsha’s S informal settlement, is alleged to have caused a devastating fire that destroyed more than 60 shacks and left over 150 families homeless on Thursday, October 16.

One of the victims, Lusanda Dana, identified her younger brother as the person responsible for the fire. Ms. Dana said her brother, who struggles with drug addiction and is known to be violent, had repeatedly threatened in recent months to burn down their home - along with the surrounding area.

She said that her 25-year-old brother set their family shack on fire due to a dispute over ownership between him and her younger sister.  “He was inside the shack when he started the fire. A few minutes later, he stepped out and walked away,” she said. “I also know that he recently had a fight with one of the senior citizens in the area over some stolen clothes.

But before this incident, he had threatened to set his niece alight. 

While the shacks were burning, he kept saying he was "burning rodents," referring to the people living there, she said. "He had said many times before that he would burn this area down. He has been arrested several times, and while he was in jail, he was on medication for depression - but he stopped taking it after his release.”

She told Vukani that her brother started using drugs at a very young age, and he is now addicted to tik. 

She said her brother has not only been violent towards members of the community, but at one point, he also strangled her and her daughter during an argument.

After that incident, she decided to stop serving her brother food and told him he was no longer welcome at her home. However, this did not stop the continued harassment and victimisation - just two weeks ago, he allegedly pickpocketed her children's social security grant money a few meters from her shack. Not so long ago, he was seen assaulting her sister's children. 

"I’m unemployed, and my only source of income is my children's social security grant, and I do not have precise words to describe how hurt I am. Our mother is living at an orphanage home, and this would break her down, and the shack, which my siblings are fighting over, belongs to my mother,” she said.

City of Cape Town fire and rescue services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said on Thursday, October 16, at approximately 5.30pm, the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to a fire involving informal structures on Parma Road in Khayelitsha.

Several firefighting crews were on the scene.

Upon arrival, firefighters were confronted with multiple shacks ablaze and a burning electricity pole that had collapsed across the road. Law Enforcement officials restricted access to the area due to the danger posed to both firefighters and the public. The fire was eventually extinguished after 10 pm, said Mr Carelse.

While the exact number of affected residents is still being assessed by Disaster Risk Management (DRM), initial reports indicate that more than 150 people have been displaced, and numerous structures were destroyed. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

This incident was one of several fires that crews responded to on the same day, amid extremely windy conditions. Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant, especially during periods when strong south-easterly winds increase the risk of fire.

Ward Councillor Thando Mpengesi said he was committed to working tirelessly to ensure that affected residents receive the support they need.

He said yesterday they secured community halls and churches for the residents to have a roof over their heads.

He has appealed to local businesses and NGOs to provide support in this  time.