Du Noon fire victims left in limbo as emergency aid delays continue

Victims of a devastating shack fire at the Site 5 informal settlement in Du Noon say they have been left in limbo two weeks after the blaze, with no emergency building kits in sight. 

The fire destroyed more than 600 shacks, leaving an estimated 2,600 people homeless and destitute.

EWN visited the area on Friday, where many families are still trying to piece their lives back together amidst the rubble.

Nomalady Msali is one of the residents who lost everything in the 9 January fire. Msali says she is now forced to seek shelter with her daughter, with no certainty about when help will arrive.

“I need my own place back, and if we had received the building material, I would say everything is fine, but it’s not.”

Another resident, Ayanda Mngunundi, says he has had no choice but to salvage scraps from the burnt rubble to rebuild a makeshift shack for his family, as they have nowhere else to go.

“I’M unemployed, taking care of my children and my younger brother who is ill. I’m struggling a lot.”
Last week, the National Department of Human Settlements told EWN it was in the process of sourcing materials, which would be rolled out soon. However, two weeks after the disaster, residents at Site 5 remain without the necessary supplies to rebuild their homes.