“My sister was a beautiful soul, full of life and funny once you get to know her,” those were the words of Sthembile Dlamini, whose sister died in a fire at Simplace Informal settlement in Effingham last week.
Khuthazile Masondo, 39, with her 14-year-old son, died in a fire that ripped through the settlement in the early hours of last Sunday, destroying over 30 shacks and leaving over 50 people destitute. Speaking about the incident, Dlamini, who lived on the other side of the settlement, said she was told by neighbours that they heard screams of her sister crying for help. “They said the night before she was in her shack with some friends and she later told them to leave because she wanted to sleep. Apparently, she was cooking something on the stove and it is suspected that she might have left the stove on and that is how the fire started,” claimed Dlamini.
Dlamini said she then informed her family in Ulundi about what had happened to her sister. “I was told that my nephew was found by the door, which means he tried to reach the door but unfortunately, it was too late. As a family, we are deeply saddened by this incident. How can we come to terms with this?” Masondo was the fourth of six siblings, and she was married but she was no longer living with her husband. One of the residents, Sanele Mkhize, said he was woken by a scream of a woman crying about her son. “We rushed to assist but the fire was too strong and it had started to engulf other shacks. My shack was also destroyed in the fire but I was lucky because I managed to grab some clothes and my Identity Document.”
He added this was his first fire since he moved to the settlement two years ago. Another resident, Zibuyile Luthuli, who lives with her five children said she managed to get some items out of her shack before it was engulfed by the fire. “We were lucky to escape without any injuries. I am also happy that I managed to get my kid’s school uniform and other clothing items out before they were destroyed by the fire, it is sad that two lives were lost in the process,” she said. Luthuli, who owned a tuck-shop at the settlement, said it was burnt to the ground. She conveyed her condolences to the family of the deceased. Ward 34 councillor Bobby Maharajh said he received a call in the early hours of Sunday morning that there was a fire.
“I then called the Fire Department which acted swiftly. I also alerted the City Disaster Management Unit who also came to the settlement to assess the situation and what assistance could be offered for the victims,” he added. The councillor said he asked a friend of his from Harvest Family Church for assistance. “The congregation donated groceries to the victims which will go a long way especially since they lost everything. My biggest concern is getting the assistance to help them rebuild.” KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala, confirmed the incident. She said an inquest docket is being investigated by Greenwood Park police. According to Gwala, circumstances surrounding to the incident were being investigated. Residents began rebuilding last Monday. One of the community leaders, Sakhile Thabede, said he assisted residents by getting donors to donate clothing and other items. He said one of the main issues at this settlement is that it is overcrowded, which makes the fire to spread quickly.
Msawakhe Mayisela, spokesperson of the eThekwini Municipality, said the city is aware of the fire that took place. “Our team assessed the damage and found that 31 informal settlements were destroyed by the fire. Two fatalities were reported. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The City will be providing relief in terms of food parcels. Further assistance will be provided in due course. The City sends its condolences to the family of the deceased. With the winter season upon us, there are bound to be fire incidents especially at informal settlements. We call upon residents to be careful when making use of open flames,” he added.
