A mother of three from Nyanga is appealing for help following a devastating fire that destroyed at least 10 shacks at the Mkhonto informal settlement on Sunday 29 January.
A total of 26 people were left homeless when the fire broke out in the area in the early hours =.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, however, the mother suspects load shedding.
Lizeka Folokwe, whose shack was reduced to ashes by the inferno, could not salvage a single item.
As the raging fire consumed her shack, the only thing on her mind was her four-year-old child.
She said the fire started around 04:00.
“We suspect that the fire has something to do with the load shedding because it started exactly after the power was restored,” she said.
“I was woken up by the noise of the people shouting ‘kuyatsha’. I grabbed my four-year-old daughter and ran out”.
She not only ran out in her night dress but could not save anything else including the stationery for her other two children.
Folokwe is now facing a monumental task to rebuild her life, but things are not looking good. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. We need any kind of help including building materials. My concern is all the school uniforms and stationery for my children that burned in the fire,” she said.
According to her, two of her children were with her cousin at eMaholweni during the incident.
Folokwe, who has lived in the area for over a decade, is unsure of what the future holds in terms of housing development.
Ward 37 councillor Sandile Martin said he contacted all the relevant departments to assist the victims. “I’m still waiting for the officials to come and assess the damage so that the people will be able to clean it. We are appealing to other organisations to come and assist the victims,” he said.
According to Martin, a contractor to build houses in the area has already been identified. “The construction of the houses is expected to start in the middle of this year. Some of the victims are among the beneficiaries. Others are going to be relocated to other areas but it is not clear where they will be going as the City is busy trying to find land for them,” said Martin.