Housing solutions for shack fire victims unclear

HELP has been offered to Mzamomhle residents who lost all their personal belongings when their shacks burnt down on New Year’s Day.

Community leaders have met with government officials to help with things such as fast-tracking the replacement of critical documents like IDs and Sassa cards.

More than 30 families were left homeless by the fire but there were no fatalities.

Last week, the business community, Buffalo City Metro and NGOs came together and donated food, blankets and mattresses to the residents, who have been housed at the Mzamomhle Community Hall.

“We are at Home Affairs with all the victims of the fire to redo all lost important documentation free of charge,” said ward councillor Boy-Boy Kalani.

Sassa had also agreed to reproduce grant cards for fire victims without a fee, he added.

BCM community services political boss Helen Neale-May said they were working “tirelessly” to find “solutions” for the families.

“We’ve just received many pallets from the Love in Action Foundation. We have a long list of businesses which have donated since the disaster and we are still working hard for a solution,” she said.

The provision of new housing for the victims is unclear and most people are still being given shelter in the community hall.

At the time of writing, Kalani was about to attend a meeting with human settlements officials.

BCM’S Human Settlements portfolio councillor Ntombizandile Mhlola and provincial human settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha could not be reached for comment. — mandilakhek@ dispatch.co.za