Kanana shack dwellers in Gugulethu were left traumatised after a man died in a shack fire on Sunday, 12 July. The cause of the fire is not clear at this stage.

This is the second incident to occur in the area, following a similar fire on Wednesday, 1 July, in which a woman was burnt beyond recognition. (‘Woman found dead in shack’. City Vision, 9 July).

He was a humble person — resident speaks out

Somikazi Maqhitsi, a resident, said they were shocked by the incident. She described the deceased as a humble person.

“I think he was around 23 years old. He lived alone. Most of the time he used to eat at his aunt’s shack. He didn’t even have a stove in his shack. I don’t know what really started the fire,” said Maqhitsi, adding that people who had seen him when he went to bed said he was sober. Maqhitsi said the loss of lives in shack fires is becoming a growing concern.

ALSO READ: Gugulethu shack fire: Family appeals for funds to bury burned victim

Fire services respond

The City’s Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said the service received a call at 22:20 on Sunday, 12 July, reporting structures alight in Kanana Informal Settlement in Gugulethu.

“Crews from Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain responded to the scene. By 22:50, the fire was extinguished, having destroyed a single shack. A body was discovered at around 22:35; gender and age unknown,” said Carelse.