Two men died after a fire swept through Imizamo Yethu in the early hours of Sunday, destroying more than 100 shacks, and leaving hundreds homeless.
Joseph Mabulani says he saw his shack destroyed within minutes as he scrambled to save his family.
“We just have to rebuild and try to get back up again. We had no time to consider saving anything, the heat was picking and our house quickly caught alight,” he said, surveying the smoking wreckage left by the fire.
Thembinkosi Xama, 33, was among the dead. His death has been very hard on Lumka Tshobeni, who said she had promised his dying mother in 2015 to take care of him and his sisters.
“She told me on her death to take care of her kids, and I did so from that day. I would care for them and love them. This has really shocked all of us here,” Ms Tshobeni said, adding that she was worried for his sisters.
“He did everything for them and worked for them. Now they have nothing, no brother and no home, which also burnt down.”
She appealed to the public to help the struggling family cover Thembinkosi’s funeral costs.
It took a R1500 DNA test to confirm his identity so that his body could be released for burial, according to Ms Tshobeni.
An anonymous donor who came to the family’s aid said, “This is really sad. If losing your house and everything you own is not enough, imagine not having the money to bury your loved one as well on top of everything.”
The second victim, known only as Andile, died from his injuries on Tuesday September 20.
IY community leader Kenny Tokwe urged NGOs and the government to support the community.
“This is really terrible and devastating as we have some families who will have no shelter and have to rebuild their lives.
“These fires create major setbacks for our people who lose things they have worked hard for, but at the same time, lives are lost and people lose their family members.”
In August last year, a fire destroyed 61 shacks in the community (“Another fire rips through IY,” Sentinel News, August 20, 2021).
Hout Bay resident and business owner Elizabeth Tooken was delivering blankets, food and clothing for the fire victims, but said much more was needed.
“These families need emotional support because how do you cope with losing everything and having children during exams losing their school stuff?
“The material stuff might get them through the day, but they live with these images for the rest of their lives.”
It took 50 firefighters nearly seven hours to extinguish the fire, according to Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse.
The police are investigating the fire because of the fatalities, but Hout Bay police station commander Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Syster said its cause had yet to be determined.
Ward councillor Roberto Quintas said the fire had left more than 400 people homeless.
“My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and have suffered injury and loss. My heartfelt thanks go out to the dedicated fire services and personnel for managing the blaze and avoiding much more devastation.”
He also thanked those who had come to the aid of the fire victims.
The City was not providing the fire victims with kits to rebuild their homes, he said, but Disaster Risk Management was coordinating relief efforts, and the South African Social Security Agency was distributing food and helping people to register for once-off cash grants.
