Residents of Sweethomes Farm informal settlement say some children will miss school today because they have no uniforms or stationery. This follows a fire on Monday morning that destroyed their school supplies. People said they had already spent all their money preparing for school, and now they face a new problem. The fire happened just one day after another fire in the area that killed a couple on Sunday morning.
Nomalusi Sitsewu, 45, told Ezitshisayo she lost everything in the shack fire on Monday, 13 January. The fire ate her belongings including uniforms and stationery for her three children.
“I’m not employed at the moment, and I had saved up throughout the year to purchase all the stationery for my children. I had also bought new uniforms, but everything was destroyed in the fire,” she explained.
Another resident, Unathi Mayekiso, said parents are unsure what to do next.
“It’s already the middle of the month, and my house has been completely destroyed by fire. I don’t know how I’ll afford new uniforms for my children. I hope he can start school next week. The person who usually lends me money will be here this weekend, so I’ll borrow some to buy his uniform,” Nomaphelo said.
Fire and Rescue spokesman Jermaine Carelse confirmed the fire. He said firefighters were called out at around 10:40 on Monday. Fire crews from several areas responded, and by 13:10 the fire was under control. He said Disaster Risk Management will provide details after their assessment.
“No injuries or fatalities were reported, and the cause of the fire is still unknown,” Carelse said.