Arson is alleged to be the reason for eight shacks being razed and 24 people left homeless in Khayelitsha.
The fire raged in Taiwan informal settlement at about 11pm after a husband and wife got into an argument.
Nthabaleng Lebenya said her husband came to the shack she was house-sitting for a friend who was in the Eastern Cape. Lebenya said her husband threatened her with a gun but she managed to escape.
"I went to a friend in Site C, not far from Taiwan, and a few hours later we heard that there was a fire.
"When I got there people started shouting at me, telling me that my husband had caused it.
"We tried our best to put it out but it was too big and by the time the fire truck came, there was nothing left," she said.
One of the people who lost everything in the fire was 73-year-old Phumelele Beme who had been living there for more than four years. "I have nothing now, just the clothes that I have on," said Beme.
Khayelitsha police spokesman Mthokozisi Gama said they were aware of the fire but no docket had been opened.
Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, spokesman for the city's Disaster Risk Management Centre, said no one had been hurt in the fire and the city had provided building material for people to rebuild their homes.
"We also provided them with blankets and would be giving them hot meals. Their homes should be up by tonight," he said.
In a separate incident, two men also lost everything when their homes caught fire in Site C on Sunday at about 9am.
Thembeni Mantyi said the electrical wires of his kettle caused a spark when he put it on.
He didn't pay attention to the sparks. Next thing he knew the wire of the electric circuit box started burning.
Fearing that it would blow up, he ran outside and called his brother.
"By the time I got back with my brother, both our shacks were on fire and we could not put it out in time," said Mantyi.
The fire raged in Taiwan informal settlement at about 11pm after a husband and wife got into an argument.
Nthabaleng Lebenya said her husband came to the shack she was house-sitting for a friend who was in the Eastern Cape. Lebenya said her husband threatened her with a gun but she managed to escape.
"I went to a friend in Site C, not far from Taiwan, and a few hours later we heard that there was a fire.
"When I got there people started shouting at me, telling me that my husband had caused it.
"We tried our best to put it out but it was too big and by the time the fire truck came, there was nothing left," she said.
One of the people who lost everything in the fire was 73-year-old Phumelele Beme who had been living there for more than four years. "I have nothing now, just the clothes that I have on," said Beme.
Khayelitsha police spokesman Mthokozisi Gama said they were aware of the fire but no docket had been opened.
Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, spokesman for the city's Disaster Risk Management Centre, said no one had been hurt in the fire and the city had provided building material for people to rebuild their homes.
"We also provided them with blankets and would be giving them hot meals. Their homes should be up by tonight," he said.
In a separate incident, two men also lost everything when their homes caught fire in Site C on Sunday at about 9am.
Thembeni Mantyi said the electrical wires of his kettle caused a spark when he put it on.
He didn't pay attention to the sparks. Next thing he knew the wire of the electric circuit box started burning.
Fearing that it would blow up, he ran outside and called his brother.
"By the time I got back with my brother, both our shacks were on fire and we could not put it out in time," said Mantyi.
- Cape Times
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