Blue Flats residents still suffer a year after fire
The residents feel forgotten after their housing burnt down a year ago.
More than a year after a fire gutted sections of the Blue Flats Hostel in Thembisa, residents still live in dangerous and unhealthy conditions, with many feeling abandoned by the CoE and the Gauteng provincial government.
The 2024 fire destroyed the hostel’s upper floors, but still, part of the building remains roofless, and broken windows remain unrepaired to this day.
Rainwater still leaks into the lower levels, causing damp walls and mould, which pose serious health risks.
Zakhele Buthelezi, a resident who voluntarily assists with maintenance at the hostel, said the situation was far worse than it appeared.
ALSO READ: ANOTHER fire reported at Tembisa Hospital
“We are thankful the DA visited and saw the conditions for themselves. There is no maintenance, no water, no working lights, and the grass never gets cut,” said Buthelezi.
Five families were relocated to small corrugated iron shacks built next to the building after the fire. These temporary structures reportedly cost R8 720 each, but residents say they are unsafe, uncomfortable and not a long-term solution.
“It’s extremely dark here at night. There are no lights, and we are scared to go outside. Bad things happen when it’s this dark,” said a resident.
Tragically, their fears were realised when a young woman recently died after another fire broke out.
ALSO READ: Emergency unit still shut down after Tembisa Hospital fire
“She jumped from a window, trying to escape. She died while others were still running to get help,” another resident recalled.
Although CoE officials visited the Blue Flats last September and saw the damage firsthand, residents said no action had followed.
“They saw the risks, but nothing has been done. No one came back to report or follow up,” Buthelezi said.
By excluding Blue Flats from its 2025 hostel renovation budget, the city had added to residents’ frustration. It only included the hostels in Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, Nguni, Wattville, Thokoza and Sethokga.
The Thembisan and Gauteng shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota, Tembisa south constituency head Refiloe Nt’sekhe and Gauteng shadow MMC for Human Settlements, Philip Thamahane from the DA, inspected the hostel and called on Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara to act urgently.
ALSO READ: Tembisa Hospital on divert after emergency unit fire
“There is no maintenance. There are fires, putting people’s lives at risk, and the premier keeps making promises. Human beings should not be forced to live like this.
“There are fire and health hazards, and no services. It is a disgrace that the municipality has failed to provide adequate accommodation,” said Cirota.
“Premier Lesufi continues to boast about transforming Gauteng’s hostels, yet his government fails to fix them. Residents live in inhumane, unsanitary and appalling conditions,” he added.
The Thembisan contacted the CoE on May 9, asking:
• What steps has it taken since the fire last year to help the displaced residents of the Blue Flats Hostel?
• Why had the repairs to the damaged sections of the hostel not yet begun, despite the situation’s urgency?
Regarding the small, corrugated iron shacks erected next to the building:
• What measures are there to ensure the temporary corrugated iron structures provided to affected residents meet basic standards of safety and sanitation?
The newspaper asked the city to respond by May 13, but had received no response at the time of going to print.
