Another of the victims, mother Nonzwakazi Ligunya, agreed: “We’re overcrowded, some people are sick. It gets claustrophobic in here and the ambulance frequents this place, coming in at least three times a day.”
That was the scenario that met President Jacob Zuma on Friday when he came face-to-face with the victims of the New Year’s Day fire in Khayelitsha that razed 220 shacks and 15 formal houses, killing five people.
Thousands were left homeless, and on Friday Zuma was at their temporary home to officially open what the residents hope will be better temporary homes – housing units donated by NGO Gift of the Givers, and erected in the area around the hall.
Fresh from his State of the Nation address, Zuma heard from residents who have become extremely frustrated at their conditions.
He was accompanied by Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille.
Zuma told the many fire victims he was visiting them to assure them that while he understood that “government proceedings are slow”, he would keep on eye on the progress of plans to rehouse them.
“I’m counting down the two months as from today,” said Zuma, switching between Xhosa and Zulu. He was referring to the two-month deadline the city set itself to complete the rehousing process.
Between 400 and 500 people also affected by the fire are apparently living elsewhere with family and friends.
About 150 people are living in the hall, and it remains unclear whether everyone will get new homes.
Local ANC councillor
Monde Nqulana said while it was impossible to say exactly when everyone would be rehoused, “by mid-March everyone should be out of the hall”.
Nqulana added that another 15 people were expected to move into the new temporary units outside the hall on Monday.
Nqulana agreed that conditions inside the hall were problematic, and confirmed that the ambulance had to be called for patients there about three times daily.
“Some of the people that live here have tuberculosis. It’s unfair,” Nqulana said.
BM section resident Ligunya, who has a two-month-old baby, agreed: “It’s not nice living here.”
Nosicelo Phakamisa, who lives in the hall with a family of eight, took a brighter view of the situation: “They give us everything. We’ve been promised that the houses outside are just temporary, and that we’ll get better houses.”
After the president’s address, Nomthandazo Damane, a single parent of a three-month-old, remained unconvinced.
She said the situation was “quite dire”, and that she didn’t want to get her hopes up.
“The infant foods they give us for our children have expired,” she complained.
After addressing the residents, Zuma inspected the temporary houses. Gift of the Givers branch manager Gawa Sayed said the organisation would build 100 temporary houses, each costing more than R20 000.
“We pledged 100 houses for the victims,” Sayed said, explaining that while their focus was normally on feeding victims of disasters, they had decided this time to help with housing. They had already erected 24 homes, and the residents would move in on Monday.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Home Affairs department set up mobile services at the hall to help those affected by the fire replace their IDs and assist with their social grants.
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