Scores of shack fire victims at SST informal settlement in Town Two spent a chilly weekend without shelters after their homes were destroyed by a fire on Thursday, 30 April.

More than 40 shacks were ravaged by the flames, leaving over 100 people homeless. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Victims of Khayelitsha shack fire lose everything

Shack fire victim Ayanda Ngwenze said he lost everything in the blaze.

“I am left with only the clothes I’m wearing. I have no place to sleep and I’m currently staying with a friend. I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild my shack because I don’t have money to buy building materials. I’m unemployed,” he said.

Ngwenze, who survives by collecting scrap, said he was out working when the fire broke out.

“I was in Blackheath collecting scrap when the incident occurred. When I came back, my shack was gone. Because I don’t have a phone, I only heard from one of my neighbours as I was approaching Town Two Clinic that my shack had been destroyed by the flames,” he explained.

Another victim, Nontombi Maqokolo, said life has been difficult since her three-room shack was gutted.

Families appeal for help after Khayelitsha shack fire

The mother of three said they are currently staying with her cousin. “I lost almost everything. I only managed to take out a blanket and a bag with my children’s clothes. My children and I are staying with my cousin, while my boyfriend is staying with a friend. We only see each other during the day,” she said.

She added that all they need is building material to rebuild their shack.

READ ALSO: Three dead, including infant, in devastating Khayelitsha shack fire

SST, South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), chair Lubabalo Msutu has appealed to humanitarian organisations to assist the victims. He said some people are struggling to rebuild their shacks because they do not have building materials.

Relief efforts underway following Khayelitsha shack fire

“Not all of them have been able to rebuild their shacks; others are staying with friends and relatives. Besides the City’s officials, only the Gift of the Givers Foundation has come through, providing food, blankets and sanitary towels on Saturday 2 May. We are still waiting for the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to come. Some of the fire victims have no food,” said Msutu.

The City’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the department received a call at 13:30 on Thursday, 30 April, reporting structures alight in Town Two, Khayelitsha.

“Several crews were on scene, including an Incident Management Team (IMT) Type 5 to coordinate the firefighting operations. By 16:30, firefighters had extinguished the blaze which, according to initial assessments, destroyed more than 40 structures and left 100 people displaced,” said Carelse.

He added that no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains unknown.