With Christmas just days away, families in the Jika Joe informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg are facing the festive season without homes, clothing or basic necessities after a fire ripped through the area early on Monday morning. The blaze destroyed 16 homes, leaving families with little more than the clothes they fled in. With no time to save belongings, residents said their only focus was escaping the flames as neighbours shouted warnings in the darkness.
Two residents sustained minor injuries and were treated by emergency personnel on site. The Jika Joe informal settlement, which has experienced several fires over the years, is home to many families who rely on informal housing and have limited access to resources, making recovery after such incidents difficult. Landlord Isaac Avela said he had lost everything in the fire and appealed for assistance with building materials.
We are trying to rebuild, but a lot has been destroyed and whatever materials we have salvaged are not sturdy. “We are asking for assistance with materials,” Avela said. WhenThe Witnessarrived at the scene on Monday morning, residents were searching for materials on water-soaked ground, while others looked for belongings that could still be salvaged.
Read Full Article on The Witness
[paywall]
Resident Lindo Dlamini, who has lived at the settlement for almost three years, said they were woken by other residents shouting that a fire had broken out. “This is not the first time a fire has started here, and once again we have lost all our belongings.
[/paywall]
