Fire at Jadhu Place
by abahlali Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006 at 3:18 PM

Another shack fire has taken place in Durban this weekend. On Saturday night (19 August) at 10:10pm, a fire broke out at Jadhu Place shack settlement. The cause was a candle left unattended.

Fire services arrived quickly on the scene and were able to bring the fire under control. Six shacks in total were destroyed leaving about 24 people homeless.

As of mid day on Sunday 20 August, neither the councillor (Baig) nor the government had provided any kind of disaster relief support.

This brings to four the number of shack fires in the Clare Estate area over the July/August period. Last week an elderly man, Zithulele Dhlomo, was burnt to death in a shack fire in Kennedy Road (press release below).

A memorial service held on Thursday 17 August was attended by Anglican Bishop Ruben Philip and veteran apartheid activist Dennis Brutus who both pledged their solidarity. Other speakers at the memorial services highlighted the lack of services and slow pace of housing delivery as the causes of these fires. They pointed out that if the shacks were electrified, these incidents would not be taking place.

One speaker stated 'If we are not welcome in South African then they should put is in prison where there is electricity and a toilet.' Another suggested that once again we have a minority government which treats the repair of potholes in Umhlanga Rocks as a priority over the provision of basic services and housing for the majority.

Further queries

0735656241Mnikelo Ndabankulu
0837439033 Raphael (Masezi)
0739760840 Nkosi

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