A bleak start to the new year

While authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire that destroyed 15 shacks in Zandspruit on New Year’s day, community members strongly believe illegal electricity connections are the cause of the fire that left 22 people homeless.

According to community leader Ellen Suping-Hlongwane, the fire could not have been caused by a candle or paraffin. “We’ve had fire incidents in the past where the cause was candle or paraffin and it never looked like that,”explained Suping-Hlongwane.

She said the fire was so huge that emergency service personnel abandoned it. “They fought through with the fire and also called for back-up but they eventually gave up and left it like that.”

She said they had controlled the fire to ensure that it doesn’t spread to the other shacks. Community members report that the fire started just after 2am on New Year’s day. “I was sleeping when I heard screams from outside and I woke up to realise that my shack is on fire,” explained one of the victims, Thembinkosi Mabaso. He said he didn’t get a chance to pack his belongings and he lost everything. “The only thing I have left is this clothes I am wearing.”

Community members blame the City’s emergency services for the extent of the damage caused by the fire. Residents said the emergency services personnel took time to attend to their call that they initially logged just after 2am. They allege that emergency services personnel refused to come and stop the fire, citing fear of their lives and safety.

Suping-Hlongwane confirms this and said when community members called her at 3.30am they said they made endless calls to the city’s emergency services. “I then called our Honeydew Sector vehicle and they are the ones who contacted the emergency services who came shortly after that.” Spokesperson for City of Johannesburg Emergency Services Robert Molaudzi however rubbished the allegations put forward by community members. “That statement is not true, we can never refuse to serve members of any community. We go wherever our services are needed within the City of Johannesburg.” He also mentioned that the police would in any situation arrive first at the scene to ensure the safety of residents seeing that it was New Year’s day.

The affected residents are housed by some of their compassionate neighbours and the rest of them are housed temporarily at a one roomed community office called Vukuzenzele.

Donations from Samaritans are slowly coming in. “The local business owners were the first to hear or plea and he provided the affected families with food, pots and a gas stove,” said Suping-Hlongwane.

Churches, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are also assisting with food and the city’s disaster management also provided them with blankets.

Affected families are in desperate need of clothes and furniture as all their belongings were destroyed. They also need building materials to rebuild their lives and homes.

Details: Ellen Suping- Hlongwane 082 705 3348.