WATCH: Flood havoc forces DV residents to take refuge

Duncan Village residents, whose homes went up in flames a week ago, suffered a double blow when they were forced to seek refuge from the harsh weather conditions being experienced by the province this week.

Ten families from C-Section were taken in by neighbours and relatives to escape East London’s cold and wet weather. They were left destitute after their shacks were destroyed in a fire last Monday.

Fire victim Miranda Njokweni, 32, said they had lost everything in the blaze, including her ID and other important documents.

“I have lost literally everything even the clothes I am wearing were donated by some of my neighbours,” Njokweni said.

Njokweni, who was at her neighbour’s house, where she has been living for the past eight days, said she had on occasion witnessed shack fires that have destroying people’s lives but has never personally experienced it until recently.

“What is dangerous about our dwellings is that in a space of two hours, one can lose everything, including their dignity and become a beggar in an instant.”

When the Daily Dispatch visited the area yesterday, some of the residents had already started rebuilding their homes, while others were waiting for the rain to stop.

A resident at C-section, Ntombekhaya Bhayo, said fire had become one of the challenges they have learnt to live with.

According to Census 2011, nearly one in five households live in shacks countrywide.

Even though the biggest number of households living in shacks is in Cape Town, where the percentage is sitting at 53%, the Eastern Cape still has 32% of its population living in shacks.

Asked if they received any assistance from the municipality after the fire, Bhayo said they were not really expecting any assistance. They would have rebuild their homes on their own. “We have seen others getting temporary shelters, others shown on TV getting clothes and parcels, we have also seen others closer to us not getting any assistance.

“We don’t want to waste our time hoping that something will happen and lose out on an opportunity to restart our lives,” Bhayo said.

Buffalo City Metro spokesman Sibusiso Cindi, said the residents were getting assistance from home affairs to fast-track assistance where ID documents have been lost.

“Our disaster management provides emergency relief and usually forwards the information to South African Securities Services Agency (Sassa) and human settlements for further assessment and possible assistance the same has been followed in this case,” Cindi said.

“Fire safety in shacks is a complex issue and requires specific interventions based on the risk.” — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za