Video: Joe Slovo fire victims are still homeless after two months now

More than 25 people, including young children, are struggling to survive after being left homeless by a fire that reduced their shacks to ashes at Joe Slovo informal settlement on June 2.

A 58-year-old man, Joseph Lephale, died in hospital, succumbing to his wounds three days after the fire.

When the Advertiser visited the fire victims on July 16, they said they had been sleeping at their neighbours’ houses and were hungry.

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According to residents, the fire broke out just after 8.30pm and destroyed nine shacks.

Phillip Lephale said his brother, Joseph, was buried in Polokwane last week.

“On that fatal day, my older brother was with my younger brother in their tuck-shop shack. Apparently the fire was caused by a Primus paraffin stove that was in the kitchen inside the tuck shop.

“When my brothers realised that there was fire everywhere, they couldn’t run outside because the door was locked.

“They looked for the keys and eventually they found them, but it was too late because they were badly affected by the smoke,” he said.

Lephale said he then took Joseph to Tambo Memorial Hospital in his bakkie while his other brother and other affected residents waited for the ambulance to arrive.

“He was then admitted, but unfortunately he passed away on June 6. My younger brother suffered burn wounds on the back and legs.

“He now walks with crutches. He was discharged from hospital last week so that he can attend Joseph’s funeral,” Lephale said.

Residents described Joseph as a people’s person who was always friendly and happy.

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One of the affected shack dwellers, Vincent van Rooyen, said the raging fire started in the tuck shop and spread to other shacks.

“When I noticed that the fire had caught my shack, I quickly went inside and grabbed my 10-year-old son, who was asleep at that time. After pulling him out I went to the tuck shop and rescued my neighbours who were trapped inside,” van Rooyen said.

The 36-year-old father showed the Advertiser the burnt wound he suffered while trying to save the two brothers.

“The ambulance took me to Tambo Memorial Hospital and I stayed there for two weeks, suffering from 25 per cent burn wounds.

“I nearly lost my son during the fire, but I thank God that I managed to save him even though we’ve lost all our belongings. I am struggling to find material to build my shack. We don’t have food or clothes.”

Rachel van Rooyen, Vincent’s mother, broke down in tears while relating the story to the Advertiser.

The 63-year-old, who lives with her 67-year-old husband and seven grandchildren, said she was admitted to hospital twice due to stress.

“I lost everything that I had, my grandchildren’s birth certificates, school uniforms, books and identity documents. We are only left with the clothes we are wearing. We are struggling to survive after the whole incident, we really need help,” she said.

The affected residents highlighted that Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) helped them by providing food parcels and blankets, but the food only lasted one week.

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They said they were promised corrugated iron to rebuild their homes, but they are yet to receive it.

The fire victims and community leaders are calling on good Samaritans to help the destitute with food, blankets, toiletries, clothing and building materials.

To assist the families you may contact Phillip Lephale on 079 268 2908, Rachel van Rooyen on 082 078 2468 or community leader Keneuoe Thejane on 073 970 4848.

Earlier this year, in May, a 46-year-old woman was asleep in her shack when her home and two others caught fire in Joe Slovo informal settlement. According to William Ntladi, district manager media liaison for DEMS, the charred remains of the woman were found inside the shack, where she was trapped when the fire broke out.

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Clr Selby Thekiso said the DA has written to the mayor, Mzwandile Masina, to urgently assemble a disaster management team to assist residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement.

“Residents have been sleeping outside in the cold since losing their homes and belongings in the fires.

“In Cape Town, fire victims are provided with emergency fire kits and building materials to rebuild their dwellings.

“The fire kits consist of 25 zinc sheets, 14 fire-treated wooden poles, three packets of nails, a door, door hinges, a window frame and a window. We call on the Ekurhuleni metro to do the same,” Thekiso said.