Shack-dwellers whose shacks were destroyed by fire on Kennedy Road Informal Settlement in Clare Estate on Saturday morning have threatened not to vote in the upcoming Local Government Elections set to take place on 1 November.
Over 483 homes were completely destroyed in a shack fire that has left 781 people homeless. One of the shack-dwellers, Nkomazi Mhlenga, a mother of a two-year-old girl, said her toddler does not understand what’s happening. “She keeps asking me when are we getting our home back and I have no answers for her. We have no food, no clothes and no homes, if this continues, we are not going to the voting polls on 1 November because no political parties are coming to our aid but they want our votes,” she said. EThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said the city was informed about the fire when it happened and immediately sent firefighters to the scene. “ Two teams were dispatched immediately to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately, our fire hose reels were cut by the community and one firefighter was assaulted. The affected people immediately occupied the ‘condemned’ flats across the road. Fearing for the safety of our teams, Metro Police and SAPS had to be called in,” said Mayisela.
The ‘condemned’ flats are the Dodoma Housing Project situated on Kennedy Road, which has not yet been completed. Resident, Asiphe Jafta, who lost all her belongings in the fire, said they have received no assistance from the municipality. “We have been getting food from local organisations and nothing else. We have taken over the incomplete housing project in the area as we have nowhere else to go. Where we are currently sleeping, there are no doors or windows and we do not know how long we can stay there for. We are appealing to the municipality to assist us with building material,” said Jafta. Mayisela said the city conducted assessments, under heavy police guard, and at present 483 structures were burnt and 781 persons are displaced; inclusive of 646 adults and 135 children. “Temporary relief in the form of meals, blankets and mattresses have been arranged. The relevant department has been sensitised and will assist with procurement of building materials,” said Mayisela.
Democratic Alliance (DA) KZN spokesperson for Human Settlements, Martin Meyer, said according to the party’s sources, the city has only offered building materials for ten houses. Meyer called on KZN Human Settlements MEC, Jomo Sibiya, to urgently intervene and ensure that steps are taken by using the Informal Settlement Upgrade Fund. “As a result of pure desperation, community members have now invaded 45 houses within the nearby Dodoma Housing Project. Many of these houses are still under construction, with the city having fallen way behind schedule and the delivery date being moved back numerous times. “The last promise from the department was that they would be handed over in June this year, a date that has long come and gone. The Kennedy Road Informal Settlement is a constant reminder of the ANC’s failures, with the community long having been plagued by natural disasters and other upheavals. Yet it appears that their plight is being dismissed by both the ANC-led municipality and provincial government. Instead, it has been left to the surrounding community who have stepped in, showing the true spirit of Ubuntu, with many coming to the aid of this community,” explained Meyer.
