Nobuhle Nonhinhi escaped with only a few personal documents, a television set, and a fridge when a fire engulfed an informal settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, on New Year’s Eve.
Despite the devastation, Nonhinhi is grateful to have saved her three children, aged 23, six, and one. She is among close to 90 victims who watched their belongings burn to ashes on Tuesday night. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
“I went out for about ten minutes. And then I heard a scream: ‘Fire fire, fire’. I ran back to check. Upon arriving I was shuttered. The fire was already rampant, with a lot of smoke,” she said.
“So I tried to navigate the smoke and take the children out and move them to our relative’s house. Three of my children were inside the house. It was my 23-year-old, six-year-old and a one-year-old.
“I managed to take them safely out of the house with the older one helping. I also managed to take out some documents, a few clothes, a TV and a fridge. I lost the rest. It was sad folding my arms and watching my belongings burn like that.”
Nonhinhi was still shocked when she spoke to TimesLIVE on Wednesday.
“We have no clue of where to go next. There hasn’t been any formal communication of how we are going to be helped going forward.”
Gift of the Givers’ project manager Ali Sabla said the “residents pleaded to us to come and assist them”.
“Just when we thought our disastrous month was done for the year-end of 2024, on New Year’s Eve we received frantic calls from residents and community members of the J Section of Kayamandi Informal Settlement,” said Sabla.
“Our teams immediately dispatched a team this morning to do an assessment and deliver the immediate humanitarian needs of hot meals, water, personal hygiene care packs, baby care packs and blankets to assist the fire victims.
“The victims were traumatised as it was not a happy new year for them as they lost everything. As you know school starts in two or three weeks, and the children have lost all their school uniforms and stationery.”
Sabla said Gift of the Givers teams will be on site for the next seven days “to assist the residents with hot meals, thereafter we will purchase each child new school uniforms and stationery”.
Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar said the fire started around 9:30pm on Tuesday. Grobbelaar said the fire affected 20 structures on Bassistreet Street.
“Initial assessments indicate that about 90 residents have been affected. We are grateful to report that no casualties were reported to us this time,” said Grobbelaar.
“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The municipality is also working to provide immediate relief to those affected.”
TimesLIVE
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