13 August 2025
Thirteen families were left homeless after a fire at Molo Residence in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, on 13 July. The families are now being asked to leave the community hall where they were temporarily given shelter. Photo: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik
Thirteen families have been living in a community hall in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, for a month. This were previously living at Molo hostel, a former school boarding house owned by the provincial public works department, but there was a fire on 13 July.
There were over 50 families illegally occupying the hostel buildings, 19 of whom were left homeless and lost most of their belongings in the fire. Some of those displaced had been there for over five years.
Mnquma Local Municipality moved the fire victims to the community hall, where it was housing people from Sikiti, displaced by floods on 10 June. The Sikiti families have now been moved to temporary shelters.
Municipal spokesperson Loyiso Mpalantshane said the families were informed that it was a temporary arrangement, until 25 July. They had also been provided with hot meals, blankets and clothing, but “as a municipality, we don’t have funds to build temporary shelters,” he said.
Andiswa Sukwana has been staying in the hall with three children, aged four, seven and 12. She disputes that the municipality made it clear they would have to vacate so soon. She said of 19 families, six had found alternative accommodation, but the remaining families needed assistance.
“On Wednesday [6 August], the municipality officials came here to tell us to find other places to live. We informed them that most of us do not have relatives around Butterworth, and returning to our villages is not an option, because we have children at school,” said Sukwana.
The door is broken and the community hall cannot be locked at night.
“Living here is not nice. We are scared,” she said.
She said that while they were sharing the space with flood victims, meals were provided, but no longer.
“Hunger is killing us … No one cares,” she said.
Ward committee member Wendy Majeke said, “For 20 years, people living in Molo, including myself, were promised houses and that has not happened. We have been waiting.”
“If the municipality cared about its people they should have found the solution for Molo residence a long time ago.”
She said conditions in Molo were bad. “You will find two or three families in one room.”
Provincial public works spokesperson Vuyani Nkasayi said eviction proceedings for Molo were being initiated. The buildings would be advertised for “revenue generation”.