RESIDENTS of Blackburn Village have begun the arduous task of rebuilding their lives and homes following a devastating fire at the settlement last month. More than 120 families were homeless in the blaze which destroyed more than 80 informal dwellings.
While some homes have been fully rebuilt, several residents are still trying to find plots of land at Blackburn Village to build their homes.
Following the fire ward councillor, Nicole Bollman and the eThekwini Municipality stepped in to help stricken residents with clothes, food and building material.
Many on that night lost everything they had, including Derek Mswazi. He was asleep when the fire tore through the settlement and in the ensuing chaos tried to salvage items from his home unsuccessfully.
“I burned my hand trying to grab items. I lost everything in the fire but the two things that hurt the most is my identity book and my certificate from a TVET college. I also lost my toolbox which I use to do handy work for people.
“Like many of the families that night, we’ve had to rebuild from scratch. I’m grateful for the items donated from the community as I’ve got a roof over my head again even though the conditions are not great for the people here,” he explained.
Another resident, Feziwe Dinga, described her heartbreak after only arriving back to the settlement the day after the fire.
“I could just smell smoke and all I could see was people’s homes lying in piles. I was devastated to find my house had also been destroyed. I’ve lost everything in the fire and I’m not sure where to start. I’m one of the residents who is looking for a vacant spot within the settlement to rebuild my home. I’ve been able to store the materials donated but we are looking for a proper piece of land.
“The piece of land where my house was is too small to build a new home. I’ve been very lucky as my friend has taken me in and allowed me to stay with her, everyone here is still trying to pick up the pieces of their lives,” Dinga said.
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