Usindiso fire survivors still struggling a year later

After the tragic fire at 80 Albert Street in Marshalltown in Johannesburg, which claimed the lives of 77 people a year ago, the survivors are still struggling to get justice and closure.

Mike Ngulube, a Malawian national, escaped the blazing fire in the early hours of 31 August, 2023.

His wife, Joyce Banda, and their one-year-old daughter, Memory, died in the fire.

Fire survivor’s wife and daughter died curled together

They died curled together in a corner from smoke inhalation after they could not escape through a locked emergency gate.

“I don’t recall much of that night. Everything is still blurry. I remember my family heading into the passage and that was the last I saw of them.

“I escaped the building via a balcony and jumped onto a tree and got down, but I don’t know how I ended up in the hospital,” he said.

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While dealing with the tragedy, Ngulube was dealt a major blow when he discovered the mortuary had given his child’s body to the wrong family.

Despite Ngulube’s attempts to locate his child’s grave, a year has passed without answers. He said he wants justice and accountability for the failure of the system to handle the situation properly.

“It haunts me every day. Even now, one year later, I don’t have any answers.

‘I feel let down by the government’

“All I want is the body of my child to be buried next to her mother back home. What keeps me awake is that I can visit my wife’s grave when I miss her but what about my child?

“We’re talking about a human being, my blood, not just a number. I feel let down by the SA government,” he said.

During the Usindiso Commission of Inquiry led by Judge Sisi Khampepe, Ngulube underwent DNA tests to confirm his daughter’s identity.

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However, the authorities have yet to provide the results, leaving Nsulube in limbo.

In the Johannesburg CBD, other survivors are also struggling with the aftermath of the disaster, including lack of proper housing and health issues.

Sihle Dube escaped the devastating fire by jumping out of a first-floor window.

Surivor escaped by jumping out window

He sustained three fractured ribs and a muscle tear on his back. “Life hasn’t improved. A year later, we still don’t have a place to stay. We lost our homes and property but I am lucky to be alive. I now live in another hijacked building where I pay rent.

“But the municipality has done nothing for us. To them what happened to us is water under the bridge,” said Dube, who was hospitalised for seven days at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.

He had been occupying the room since Covid.

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“I was woken up by a loud bang and immediately ran to the door, but thick black smoke was rolling in the passage.

“It turned pitch black and everyone was screaming in panic. Some people had begun jumping out of the windows and in fear I jumped out as well,” he recalled.

Dube has since been involved in a series of meetings and engagements demanding action and justice.

Temporary shelters for fire victims

Others remain at the Denver informal camp, where the department of human settlements built temporary shelters for the fire victims.

The camp, initially housing 36 fire families, now has over 200 people. Of the original 36 families, only 18 remain.

Some have returned to town, some are still without ID documents and dozens of children haven’t attended school for a year.

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NGOs and human rights activists including Andy Chinnah continue to fight for justice and compensation for the victims.

The Usindiso Commission of Inquiry report found the City of Joburg responsible for the fire and the deaths.

“It’s been taxing emotionally because you see people being uprooted by a disaster, losing everything in the fire.

Desperate fire survivors

“Some people have moved back to the city; some are sleeping under a bridge because that’s how desperate they are but we won’t stop fighting for these people,” Chinnah said.

He slammed the city’s handling of the housing crisis, saying successive administrations had failed to provide solutions.

“Every administration tells us they’re doing something, but when we ask for the plans, we never see them. Without continuity and real engagement with plans and set goals, nothing will change.”

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