By Levy Masiteng
Four people were injured and one person remained unaccounted for after a fire swept through the Jika Joe informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg, affecting over 400 households.
The blaze broke out on the evening of Saturday, 11 July, and spread through a section of the densely populated settlement before being brought under control by Msunduzi Municipality’s Fire and Rescue Services.
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Firefighters reportedly battled the blaze for about four hours. No deaths had been recorded by Sunday, while the four injured residents were taken to hospital for treatment.
“Fire and Rescue Services responded promptly and managed to contain the blaze before it spread further,” the municipality said.
The cause of the fire had not been established and remains under investigation.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said its Provincial Disaster Management Centre had deployed teams to the settlement to work with municipal officials and humanitarian organisations.
Preliminary assessments indicated that about 427 households had been affected. Municipal disaster management teams had completed 294 household assessment forms by Sunday as officials worked to establish the full extent of the damage and residents’ immediate needs.
“The teams are working with the municipality to provide relief and support to the affected; this includes the setup of a soup kitchen in collaboration with NGOs,” KZN Cogta spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila told Inside Metros.
The province’s Cogta MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi said the department, municipality and social partners were coordinating interim assistance for residents.
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He urged residents to take particular care when using open flames during winter, when fires can spread rapidly through closely built structures made from combustible materials.
Residents lost food, clothing, furniture and other belongings in the blaze.
The Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics said local residents and organisations had provided more than 800 meals by Sunday, while donations of food, clothing, blankets, mattresses, bottled water and sanitary products were being collected for affected families.
