At least 11 shacks caught fire in Khayamandi on Sunday afternoon around 14:00, leaving several people homeless.
One of the victims, Andisiwe Sidiki, lost everything in the blaze. She said the fire started on her neighbour’s bed and quickly spread throughout the area. In total, 11 families, including the owners of the hostel rooms, lost all their possessions in the fire, ranging from furniture and school books to critical documents such as IDs and certificates.
The community of “126 Hostel”, named so due to the shacks’ proximity to this landmark, is currently rebuilding their homes with a combination of burnt materials and new timber provided by Stellenbosch Municipality’s disaster-management team. Fire victims also received breakfast and dinner from the same team.
Ward 13 councillor Mary Nkopane visited the victims on Monday to assess the damage. She said the next steps involved the municipality recording all the victims’ details to supply them with building materials. Once the homes have been rebuilt the municipality will send electricians to install electrical cables.
Nkopane stated each affected family would receive a letter to present to Social Development. Each household would then be granted a R1 500 voucher to cover essential needs. Both Ward 13 and the municipality will provide food parcels and other necessities, such as toiletries and bedding.
Fortunately, no deaths or severe injuries were reported.
