Fires kill two and leave scores homeless in Dunoon
Fire and rescue services say they are yet to determine the cause of the separate blazes
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Dunoon resident Vuyokazi Jabona died in a shack fire at Newlands informal settlement in the early hours of Sunday. Photos: Peter Luhanga
The family of a Dunoon woman is devastated after they could not save her during a shack fire at Newlands informal settlement in the early hours of Sunday.
Vuyokazi Jabona was one of two people who died in two separate shack fires, less than an hour apart, in Dunoon at the weekend. 35 families were left homeless.
Jabona’s cousin, Anelisa Mpetsheni, told GroundUp they were celebrating a birthday in the early hours of Sunday. Minutes after Jabona went home, Mpetsheni was alerted by neighbours of a fire.
She said they ran and found her cousin trapped inside her shack. “We tried to open her shack, but it was too late. I had just seen her at about 1am on Sunday. I still can’t believe it happened. It is so painful,” said Mpetsheni.
The homes of seven families were also destroyed in this blaze.
One person died, and 20 others were left homeless when a fire blazed through Siyahlala informal settlement near the N7.
Less than an hour earlier at Siyahlala informal settlement near the N7, Melikhaya Dola died after his shack caught alight. Six other shacks were destroyed, and four others were damaged, leaving 20 people homeless.
Sibusiso Danti, whose tshisa nyama shop was also burnt, said little was salvaged from the blaze. He managed to save only the wallet, which had his identity document.
He said he lost his children’s important documents, household furniture, meat stock worth about R4,000 and R10,500 in cash from his scholar transport business.
On Monday, City Fire and Rescue spokesperson Gerard Langenhoven confirmed the two deaths.
For the Newlands informal settlement fire, Langenhoven said the cause has not yet been determined. “The scene was handed over to SAPS,” he said.
For the Siyahlala informal settlement fire, Langenhoven said fire crews arrived at 2:27am and could only extinguish the blaze by 5:13am.
“There was one fatality. The body was burnt beyond recognition. The cause has not yet been determined. The scene was handed over to the South African Police Service for investigation,” he said.
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