Jeppestown fire victims slam conditions of temporary shelters
The incident has left about 200 people - who are currently housed in large tents at a nearby sports field - displaced.
The aftermath of a building in Jeppestown that caught fire in the early hours of Sunday, 25 August 2024, claiming the lives of at least four people. Picture: Jacques Nelles / Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Survivors of the deadly Jeppestown building fire in Joburg have complained about difficult and cold conditions at temporary shelters.
On Sunday, four people died when a fire broke out at a hijacked building in the Johannesburg CBD.
The incident has left about 200 people - who are currently housed in large tents at a nearby sports field - displaced.
For many of the displaced residents, they were pretty content with the conditions at the previous building.
They said while the building was hijacked and the electricity was connected illegally, it was still safe and warm.
READ: Jeppestown building fire survivors left stranded following deadly blaze
Now, they have been grouped in loose tents. Their other gripe is that there aren’t enough mattresses and blankets for everyone.
One of the community leaders, Sanele Phewa, said the conditions are deplorable.
"It's impossible to sleep. I didn't sleep, a lot of people didn't sleep. We spent a lot of time outside last night. It's cold inside the tents and they were flapping at night because of the wind... but because we are poor we will stay here and persevere," Phewa said.
Phewa said the municipality has not set a date regarding a move to a suitable accommodation.
Meanwhile, the temporary shelters where survivors of the recent Jeppe town building fire are being housed – are also home to survivors of a different building fire that happened seven months ago.
On the 21 January 2023, two people died a two-storey building on the corner of Commissioner Street and Nugget Street caught fire.
The incident, which was caused allegedly by a woman pouring paraffin on her boyfriend, left about 150 people displaced.
When the survivors of the Commissioner Street building fire were moved into tents at a local sports complex, the city told them the shelter would be temporary.
However, it’s been more than seven months and on Sunday night they got 200 more neighbours who survived Jeppetowns fire.
A Commissioner Street fire survivor – Makhosazana Sibeko – said they feel the City of Joburg had abandoned them.
“It’s painful living here. In English, they say half a loaf is better than nothing but it does feel like maybe we are being taken advantage of us, because we are desperate and we don’t have an idea what our rights are. We do know our rights; we are just being respectful.”
Survivors of the recent Jeppestown building fire hope their stay at the tents will be a short one.