Several people homeless after Salvokop fire
“I couldn’t sleep last night because it is difficult for me to accept that the only possessions I have now are the clothes I have been wearing since yesterday.”
The families, who were living in a building engulfed in flames on Tuesday near Statistics South Africa’s head office in Salvokop, have lost almost everything.
“All our valuables including food, clothes, blankets and documents such as IDs were burnt and we are left with nothing right now,” fire victim Hlalanathi Gwicana told Rekord.
The 31-year-old said he was still in a state of shock.
“I never thought that one day I would be homeless, but the fire has left me and the others homeless.”
He said the Tshwane Leadership Foundation had provided them with temporary accommodation.
“I couldn’t sleep last night because it is difficult for me to accept that the only possessions I have now are the clothes I have been wearing since yesterday,” he said.
The cause of the fire is unknown yet.
He said no one was at the house when the fire broke out.
“One of my neighbours called and told me about the fire while I was in town at the time with my brother.”
He said he rushed home and tried to extinguish the fire with the help of neighbours.
According to Gwicana, the fire started from their part of the house and spread to the other parts of the building which also house a family unit, a tavern and a tuckshop.
Ward 80 councillor Fortune Mampuru said he was inspired to see community members coming together to help those in need.
He said Tshwane emergency services extinguished the fire within minutes.
No injuries were reported.
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