Cape Town – Hundreds of residents in Khayelitsha are picking up the pieces after devastating fires ripped through their homes on Sunday afternoon. The acrid smell of smoke still lingered in the air on Monday morning as families returned to find their lives reduced to ashes.
The Tsepe Tsepe informal settlement bore the brunt of the blaze, with 177 structures destroyed and 377 residents left homeless, according to official figures. Gift of the Givers, along with various City of Cape Town stakeholders, are on the ground providing much-needed assistance to the fire victims.
Xolile Mbembe, 50, his wife, and their two children, were among those who returned to a scene of devastation. They had left Cape Town on 23 December to spend the festive season with family in the Eastern Cape. Mbembe recounted the moment he received the news of the fire.
“I remember that my neighbour called me late Sunday morning, while we [family] were boarding the bus back to Cape Town. He told me that the fires were big and that they hadn’t hit my home yet, but they would," Mbembe said. "The fire had already taken his home, and it was just a matter of minutes before it made its way to the section where my home was. I was in shock and stressing, because I did not prepare for this news."
Mbembe expressed his gratitude to his neighbour, who risked his life to salvage some of their belongings. “He risked his life to try and get some clothes for us, and I am so grateful to him. It’s just really sad that this is now our reality: no home, no furniture, no bed, and now relying on others for help,” he lamented.
Standing amidst the charred remains of his home, Mbembe described the overwhelming sense of loss. “There is nothing you can do in that moment but just soak it all in and cry. It weighs heavily on my heart that we now have to rebuild everything from scratch,” he said.
Another resident, Yolisa Ncapayi, a 35-year-old mother of six, shared a similar story of heartbreak. Ncapayi was at work when she received the devastating news that her home had been consumed by the fire. She has one-year-old twins, who have lost all their baby clothes, formula, and other essential items.
“There is nothing left at home, absolutely nothing. Everything is burnt to the ground, not even a sock was spared,” she sobbed.
Despite the immense loss, Ncapayi expressed gratitude that her children were not at home when the fire broke out. “I’m just very happy that none of my kids were home at the time of the fire. I thank God that no one died, but to know that all our hard work that went into making our shack a home has now gone up in flames. It’s really sad and depressing," she said.
Ncapayi and her children are currently being housed in a local shelter. Determined to rebuild her life, she said, “I plan to rebuild the house, we're just waiting on the material to come. There is nowhere else I can go with all my kids, so I have no choice but to restart my life over again.”
Gift of the Givers has pledged to provide ongoing support to the fire victims. Yonela Gcanga, community liaison officer for the organisation, said they will provide three meals a day for the next few weeks, as well as donate blankets, water, mattresses, hygiene packs, and baby packs.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said that more than 40 firefighters "battled to contain the blaze" which was exacerbated by a strong south-easterly wind.
He added that the service’s incident management team type 4 took control of the situation and divided the fire area into two divisions to maximise firefighting efforts. The fire was eventually extinguished by 19:50.
“Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported, and the cause of the fire is yet to be determined,” said Carelse.
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell confirmed that officials are assisting those affected.
“Some residents have already started rebuilding their structures. Others are staying with friends and family in the immediate vicinity,” said Powell. She added that the Informal Settlements Management Branch is working with the national Department of Human Settlements to support rebuilding efforts.
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