Some residents of Ward 13 in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, are struggling to rebuild their homes after a recent fire destroyed structures in the area.
Debris fills the road alongside the section of the Ward 13 community in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, that was destroyed by a fire on 31 October. While residents are attempting to rebuild their houses, efforts are hindered by a lack of building materials, according to Anita Dlokolo, a Kayamandi resident who lost her home in the fire. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
This was according to Anita Dlokolo, a resident of Kayamandi who lost her home in the fire. About 70 informal structures were destroyed during the blaze on 31 October, resulting in 180 affected residents and two deaths, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality.
“[Stellenbosch] fire department was able to contain the fire and our disaster management team were on the scene to assist families with food and other essentials,” said Grobbelaar in written correspondence with MatieMedia. The cause of the fire remains unknown, he added.
Sindiswa Sholosu, a resident of Ward 13 in Kayamandi, stands on the plot where her home stood before it was destroyed in a fire on 31 October. The structure is being rebuilt on a smaller scale, due to a lack of building materials, according to Sholosu. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
Unrest on the R304
Some Kayamandi residents held a protest on the R304 past Kayamandi on 4 November, demanding further support from the municipality in the wake of the fire.
This was according to Captain Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for the Stellenbosch South African Police Service.
“Some of the residents of Kayamandi’s shacks burned down and they wanted new shacks from the municipality,” said Martin in email correspondence with MatieMedia. “[The] municipality agreed to assist in some way and people dispersed.”
Some Kayamandi residents held a protest on the R304 past Kayamandi on 4 November, demanding further support from the municipality in the wake of the fire. This was according to Captain Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for the Stellenbosch South African Police Service. Those involved in the protest dispersed once the municipality agreed to assist in some way, she added. PHOTOS: Supplied/Fidelity Services
Grobbelaar told MatieMedia that the protest was caused by dissatisfaction among some community members about the issuing of fire kits.
“The municipality, however, had to follow standard operating procedure in the issuing of these kits. All affected families have been provided with fire kits,” said Grobbelaar. He added that in the aftermath of the protest, engagement between the municipality and affected communities and community leaders is ongoing.
Nomajama Jikela, assistant manager and community caregiver at Love to Give, speaks about why some Kayamandi residents protested on the R304 past Kayamandi on 4 November. AUDIO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
Efforts to rebuild
Efforts to rebuild the structures that were destroyed by the fire, which included two hostels, have been hindered by a lack of building materials, according to Dlokolo.
“The material is not enough because the houses were burned down – most of them,” said Dlokolo. The community has received some zinc sheets and poles from the municipality, but these are not enough to rebuild all the destroyed structures, she added.
Anita Dlokolo, a resident of Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, who lost her home in a fire on 31 October, speaks about the impact that the blaze had on her community. VIDEO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
The fire moved quickly, leaving residents little time to remove belongings from their homes before the structures burned, according to Dlokolo. “We have no furniture, clothes, food…nothing. It’s a problem,” she said.
Love to Give, a non-profit organisation (NPO) based in Kayamandi, has provided supplies to some of its beneficiaries who were affected by the fire, according to Nomajama Jikela, assistant manager and community caregiver at the NPO.
“The stuff that we have now, it was delivered before [the fire]…like the clothing, and also we’ve got that pack of soup with rice and other stuff. [W]e stopped the hand-out [to others] to see if we can assist [those affected by the fire]. But it’s not enough,” said Jikela.
Beneficiaries of Love to Give, an non-profit organisation (NPO) in Kayamandi, sort through clothes that were donated to the NPO. The clothing was donated before a fire destroyed many of their homes on 31 October. While Love to Give has been providing some supplies to its beneficiaries, it does not have enough food or clothes to assist all those affected by the fire, according to Nomajama Jikela, assistant manager and community caregiver at the NPO. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp
The municipality has also provided support to residents in the form of meals and fire kits, according to Grobbelaar.
“The municipality immediately started the process of verification of the affected residents [after the fire]. The verification process was only completed on Wednesday, 3 November. Fire kits could not be issued before the dispute around the ownership of the land was resolved,” explained Grobbelaar.
The Stellenbosch Fire Department and the Love to Give Centre in Kayamandi are both accepting donations of non-perishable food, water, toiletries and clothes for Kayamandi residents affected by the fire.
MatieMedia reached out to the Ward 13 councillor for comment, but they had not responded at the time of publishing.
Stellenbosch Municipality is continuously working to ensure safer communities by engaging in fire awareness drives, said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson of the municipality, on how the municipality is attempting to reduce fire risks in Kayamandi and other areas. “[W]e have installed thousands of smoke alarms in informal settlements over the past few years that act as early warning systems, we have procured several new state-of-the-art fire fighting vehicles that are able to access difficult to reach areas and narrow roads, and we have recently distributed hundreds of handheld FireKilla devices to all accredited neighbourhood watches,” said Grobbelaar. PHOTO: Tamsin Metelerkamp