Three days after a fire gutted the Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo, Durban, another community has been left reeling after their homes went up in flames.
About 30 dwellings were razed in the Lusaka informal settlement in Chatsworth on Tuesday. There were no fatalities.
Xolani Zondi said he was shocked when his belongings were destroyed in the fire.
“I don't know what I can do to pick up my life. All my identification documents [are gone].”
The blaze was extinguished by eThekwini firefighters.
Zondi, originally from Pietermaritzburg, said while this was a tragedy, it was pointless to put the blame on someone.
“These things happen in informal dwellings. We have to try to find a way to sort things out,” he said.
Another resident, Lucky Gumede, said he had lost cash and other valuable items.
“I don't have identity documents, that's why I do not have a bank account. All my money has gone. I only have R60.”
Mthokozisi Mhlangu, a landlord who lets more than 17 dwellings in the settlement, said he had been dealt a heavy blow.
“All my tenants are in a state. I want to get assistance because I rely heavily on this.”
Though he had taken over the business from his mother, he did not recall the settlement burning before. The rent ranges from R400 to R700, depending on the structure.
Community activist Thobe Shandu, who lives in the area, said they were quantifying the extent of the disaster.
“This morning [Wednesday] we are still getting people coming in and telling us about their woes. Once we have the full number we [will] forward the information to the disaster team.”
She said compounding their plight was the lack of a hall in the ward. The settlement is part of ward 74, eThekwini.
TimesLIVE
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