Residents believe that a dispute with a local pastor was the cause of a fire that started in a Du Noon church on Saturday morning and resulted in the destruction of 40 shacks, leaving 140 people homeless.
Fortunately no-one was killed or injured in the blaze in the Ethembeni squatter camp but all the effected families lost all their belongings and have to rebuild their lives from scratch.
On Sunday morning residents were busy rebuilding their homes while young children played amongst the charred debris.
Unemployed Bongani Ntsemdwani, 33, said his heart was “sore” as he had lost everything in the blaze.
Ntsemdwani, a single father of a two year-old child said he and his son were fast asleep on Saturday morning when before dawn he heard people screaming that the squatter camp was on fire.
He said he grabbed his son and kicked open the door of his shack to see the fire already engulfing his neighbour’s home.
He didn’t even have time to grab an armful of his belongings as the flames were already licking the walls of his shack.
“There was a commotion. Every one was going crazy.”
He said he lost about R5000 worth of personal belongings.
Sanelesiwe Phelekwa was in bed with her fiancé when they heard the shouting and woke up to find the corner of their shack already starting to burn.
“We didn’t even have much time to think what to take with us. We just stormed out to safety,” said Phelekwa.
She said residents demolished adjoining shacks to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Community leader Novusile Matsundu said it was widely believed that some one who had a dispute with the pastor of the St. John Apostles church set the church alight.
“It’s believed he (the arsonist) had a problem with the church,” said Matsundu.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service Command and Control Centre spokesperson Theo Layne confirmed the blaze and said they received a desperate call at 5:45 am. A fire fighting crew was immediately sent out.
“It took them just over an hour to get the fire under control,” said Layne.
He said the cause of the fire was still unknown and the police were investigating.
Fortunately no-one was killed or injured in the blaze in the Ethembeni squatter camp but all the effected families lost all their belongings and have to rebuild their lives from scratch.
On Sunday morning residents were busy rebuilding their homes while young children played amongst the charred debris.
Unemployed Bongani Ntsemdwani, 33, said his heart was “sore” as he had lost everything in the blaze.
Ntsemdwani, a single father of a two year-old child said he and his son were fast asleep on Saturday morning when before dawn he heard people screaming that the squatter camp was on fire.
He said he grabbed his son and kicked open the door of his shack to see the fire already engulfing his neighbour’s home.
He didn’t even have time to grab an armful of his belongings as the flames were already licking the walls of his shack.
“There was a commotion. Every one was going crazy.”
He said he lost about R5000 worth of personal belongings.
Sanelesiwe Phelekwa was in bed with her fiancé when they heard the shouting and woke up to find the corner of their shack already starting to burn.
“We didn’t even have much time to think what to take with us. We just stormed out to safety,” said Phelekwa.
She said residents demolished adjoining shacks to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Community leader Novusile Matsundu said it was widely believed that some one who had a dispute with the pastor of the St. John Apostles church set the church alight.
“It’s believed he (the arsonist) had a problem with the church,” said Matsundu.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service Command and Control Centre spokesperson Theo Layne confirmed the blaze and said they received a desperate call at 5:45 am. A fire fighting crew was immediately sent out.
“It took them just over an hour to get the fire under control,” said Layne.
He said the cause of the fire was still unknown and the police were investigating.
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