A fire ripped through Singabalapha on Wednesday
A man died and at least three structures were destroyed in a fire that ripped through Singabalapha informal settlement in Observatory early on Wednesday. Photo supplied
One man died and at least three structures were gutted in a fire that ripped through Singabalapha informal settlement in Observatory in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, firefighters got the call before 3am on Wednesday. He said three structures were destroyed, displacing several people. “The fire was extinguished at 3:55am and one fatality was recorded.”
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Resident Pamela Martins said she believes the body found is her 34-year-old son, but she has not been able to identify him. His body was badly burnt and police still need to do a DNA test.
Martins said she was woken up by her younger son who said he heard his brother screaming for help inside the burning shack. “By the time I went to check, there were flames everywhere but the screaming had stopped,” said Martins.
She said the authorities would not allow her to see the body, but they told her that the body had a chain matching the one she had described to them.
Martins became tearful when speaking about the funeral preparations. She needs to find his birth certificate because his ID was destroyed in the fire.
Singabalapha (“We belong here”) informal settlement was started by a group of mostly backyarders seven years ago. There is no electricity, running water or toilets. Most of the shacks, built with wood and zinc, leak when it rains.
According to Martins, there were only five large bottles of water at the settlement, not enough to douse the flames.
Residents in the settlement are living in limbo as an eviction order granted by the Western Cape High Court sets 30 November as the deadline for the Singabalapha site to be vacated.
The City had planned to relocate the group to a site in Gugulethu, but Gugulethu residents who were also set to benefit have protested against sharing the site with Singabalapha residents.
Singabalapha community leader Barbara Vuza said there had been no further communication from the City regarding their relocation. She said people who lost their structures and belongings in the fire sought shelter with neighbours.
“We are in the middle of October, and we still do not know if we will be moved to Gugulethu. I guess we will wait and see.”
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