Fire kills four, hundreds homeless
2006-12-20
VARIOUS fires caused devas-tation in Mbekweni during the past weekend killing four people and leaving several hundred homeless.
The first tragedy occured on Thursday morning at approximately 03:00 when an open flame allegedly set an informal home in White City alight. Due to the severe dry, windy conditions it swept rapidly to adjacent homes, burning them to the ground.
In one of the houses, Nosiphelo Mvo (41) was asleep with her two grandchildren, Zizipho Mvo (10 months) and Sikelelwa Mvo (4), as well as her niece, Molisimdiso Tyesi (16), when the fire ravaged the house. All four were killed, presumably in their sleep.
Another 18 homes were razed to the ground, leaving 21 families homeless.
Nosiphelo’s husband, Merica Mvo escaped death due to the fact that he had gone to Khayelitsha the previous day to assist family members with renovations to their home.
Merica said that he and his family were due to be given a long awaited government home in the New Year, but now his life has been devastated by his loss.
“If we were given a house earlier, this tragedy would never have happened.”
On Friday morning employees of Social Services scurried to ensure that the homeless victims of the fire were able to find accommodation with either family or friends and the fire-brigade handed out emergency food parcels and blankets to the victims.
Devastation struck again on Sunday evening, when a fire swept through OR.
Hundreds of people fled their homes and due to their evacuated belongings being placed on the railway track in Drommedaris Street, Spoornet had to delay trains for almost three hours.
It is estimated that 120 homes were razed to the ground, directly effecting close to 500 people.
The Colibri Hall was made available for the victims of the fires, but many of them had already sought shelter with family members or had started rebuilding their home.
Food parcels from the Red Cross were dealt out to assist the victims.
This has been to date the worst informal settlement fires in the Drakenstein area this year.
Mayor Charmaine Manuel expressed her and Council’s sincerest sympathy with the Mvo and Tyesi families with their loss.
She urged people to be extremely cautious when handling fires and open flames.
She also appealed to the community to donate foodstuffs, clothes and furniture to the affected families. Donations will be received at the Paarl fire-brigade.
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