As the winter season approaches, some would say it has arrived, a police warning of 2016 should be considered.
Residents were warned about the dangers of ‘izimbawula’ (makeshift coal stoves).
The Standerton Advertiser published an article in April last year where the DA commented that without proper infrastructure, some residents are forced to use alternative means for their daily activities such as using an imbavula.
An imbawula is made from a large tin can with holes on the sides and designed to burn for a long time.
Most shack dwellers use it to keep warm and to cook.
A former communications officer of the Sakhile Police advised that residents:
• Not keep izimbawula burning throughout the night
• Cases of burn victims especially in children escalate during winter because of negligence concerning izimbawula
• Shack fires are also prone to increase
• Avoid sleeping with the imbawula or heater on because a blanket can easily catch fire
• Avoid leaving stoves and heaters unattended because they might cause a blaze.
Read the complete article in the next edition of the Standerton Advertiser.
