200 Shacks Destroyed as Fire Rips Through Isiphingo Informal Settlement

A fire tore through Dakota informal settlement south of Durban in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A fire ripped through Dakota informal settlement in Isiphingo, south of Durban, early on Tuesday morning, destroying about 200 shacks, according to the eThekwini municipality.

The municipal fire and rescue service said more than 300 people had been displaced, including children.

Many people lost everything including identity documents and school books.

Thembelihle Mthembu said she was woken by light outside her shack. She ran out without stopping to pick up any of her belongings. She has been living in the informal settlement for more than five years.

“If only government could build a proper house for me, I would be happy, because we are sometimes victims of floods, sometimes of fires, like now,” said Mthembu.

People GroundUp spoke to said they had been asleep when the fire broke out around 3am and were unsure what had caused it. The settlement has electricity.

Dakota is about 200 metres from the sea.

Ward councillor Shad Nobuth (DA) said the victims would be housed in a tent nearby. He said the settlement was about 40 years old and promises had been made to build proper houses for the families living there, but there had not been any progress.

Phathiswa Xaki from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape said she had been living in the area for more than 10 years.

“I am lucky because I managed to save most of the clothes and bedding and my ID. It is not the first time for me to experience this tragedy, but every time it happens, I feel as if it’s the first time,” said Xaki.

eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said fire and emergency services and disaster management teams had responded quickly. She said the fire was thought to have been caused by a burning brazier.

“No injuries or fatalities have been reported.”

According to the eThekwini municipality, 200 shacks were destroyed.

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