Hundreds left homeless as blaze rips through Jika Joe informal settlement

Msunduzi firefighters battled for four hours to bring a devastating blaze under control after it swept through the Jika Joe informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night, destroying 427 homes and leaving hundreds of people without shelter.

Four people were injured and taken to hospital, while one person remained unaccounted for on Sunday. No deaths had been recorded.

Large parts of the settlement were reduced to ash as the fire spread rapidly through the closely built homes. Residents lost clothing, food, furniture and other belongings.

Msunduzi Municipality said its Fire and Rescue Department responded to the fire and continued working with Disaster Management officials to assess the damage, determine the cause and coordinate relief efforts.

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“Preliminary assessments indicate that an estimated 427 households were impacted by the fire and 294 assessment forms have been administered to the affected households,” the municipality said.

Four people sustained injuries and were transported to hospital for further treatment while one person is believed to be missing.

“The municipality is working with relevant stakeholders to provide assistance and support to affected residents.”

KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi commended the swift response by disaster management teams and extended his sympathies to the victims.

The provincial Disaster Management Centre was co-ordinating interim relief with Msunduzi Municipality and social partners.

KZN Cogta alongside our social partners and the Msunduzi Municipality, is ensuring that comprehensive interim relief reaches all affected households. This tragedy highlights the critical need for vigilance.

“We urge communities to exercise extreme caution with open flames during these cold months,” Buthelezi said.

The department said assessment teams remained at the settlement to coordinate assistance and search for the missing person. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Ward 33 councillor Suraya Reddy did not visit the disaster scene on Sunday, saying the situation was too volatile and dangerous for her to enter the settlement. Reddy said Disaster Management was responsible for conducting the official damage assessment and headcount.

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She said the missing person had not yet been reported to the police and cautioned against unofficial estimates being circulated while assessments were continuing. “Currently too many unofficial people are making statements and estimates of the situation,” Reddy said.

She said humanitarian assistance from registered non-profit organisations, non-governmental organisations, civic bodies and religious groups was welcome, but should be co-ordinated through the municipality’s Disaster Management unit or its designated service provider.

“This fire should not be the cause of any further tensions we already facing from the past few weeks,” she said.

However, Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics (Marrc) chief executive Anthony Waldhausen criticised Reddy’s absence from the scene and said she should have engaged directly with residents. Marrc was among the organisations on the ground assessing the damage and assisting affected families.

“We went into assess the situation, you could see people trying to rebuild but everything was just burnt away. Many of them who found some mattresses of what was left were just left around.

“One of the residents there just started making soup for the people from whatever she had. Some food was provided for them this evening,” Waldhausen said.

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He said more than 800 meals had been provided by local residents and organisations, but no alternative sleeping arrangements were visible for families who had lost their homes.

Waldhausen questioned what had been done to improve conditions at the settlement over the years.
“She claims she was there for the last seven years and what has she done in that time? Surely she can engage with them and see what can be done to assist them. She needs to be more proactive.

“The residents were promised housing but those block of flats are already falling apart. Residents are kept out of the process, decisions are being made without public participation at all.

“When I approached her to speak to her about the situation she asked me what right do I have to call her. I said it’s a humanitarian issue and I’m trying to assist,” said Waldhausen.

He said greater intervention was needed to address conditions at Jika Joe, arguing that the flats built to accommodate residents had not resolved the housing problem. “The flats haven’t solved the issue of housing. The flats are falling apart and it’s so small,” said Waldhausen.

A public dispute also emerged between Reddy and Marrc over an appeal for building materials for affected residents. A social media poster circulated by the Brookside Corridor Civic Association and Marrc appealed for building materials, clothing, blankets, food, bottled water and mattresses.

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Reddy criticised the appeal for building materials, saying civic organisations should not encourage residents to rebuild before the municipality and Human Settlements authorities had determined the way forward.

“Marrc as a ratepayers association you should know better than encouraging them to build there again. Disaster Management or Human Settlements are not even offering them building materials but you are,” she wrote.

However humanitarian volunteers have described the conditions and the need for shelter as urgent given the cold conditions. “Displaced victims desperately need building materials for basic shelter over their heads,” they said.

Local resident Shazia Mahomed said they had been assisting residents since Sunday afternoon with food, sanitary wear and clothing.

The residents are in need of food, clothing and sanitary items, blankets and items to keep warm.

Those who would like to assist can drop off donations at Manchester Mall, next to Pack and Snack.
AET Security social media liaison officer Ashley Pillay said the company’s teams responded to the blaze and remained at the scene to assist residents after the fire was extinguished.