eMbalenhle residents blame shack fires on load-shedding

Residents of eMbalenhle are pointing fingers at Govan Mbeki Municipality’s load-shedding as the cause for sporadic shack fires that leave families either dead or with nothing.

Residents said this after a six-room shack caught fire at Ext 20, eMbalenhle, in the morning hours of Tuesday, August 10.

They said the electricity went off in the morning but when it was restored three hours later, black smoke was billowing out of a shack.

“The municipality must account for the damages caused by its electricity supply, people lost their lives and some lost property because of the electricity.

“We want justice,” said some residents.

“How can they always switch the electricity on and off without notice, we want to see that particular person who is employed just to switch on and off because we lost appliances and family members because of him or her,” said one of the residents.

Mr Samuel Mulungue, one of the six family members who lost everything in a shack fire, said they were still in their beds but not asleep when a fire erupted.

“ I was warming myself under the blankets in my bed as it was cold and there was no electricity. Soon after the electricity came back, I noticed that there was smoke coming out of another family member’s room.

“I woke up the others and told them our house is on fire.”

They were too late to save their shack and belongings.

“We lost everything, including important documents such as our identity documents and passports,” said Mr Mulungue.

Since the beginning of winter, more than 16 shacks went up in flames at eMbalenhle.

These incidents can be linked to municipal load-shedding and several people, including two young children, lost their lives.

“The Govan Mbeki Municipality conveys condolences to the families of the shack fire victims. We wish those who were injured, a speedy recovery,” said Mr Donald Green, the acting head of communication at GMM.

“The municipality held pre-winter fire safety campaigns targeting informal settlement dwellers, including communities where there are no sufficient water supply and the response of emergency services is not always effective.

“The theme for the campaign was Working together to save lives and emergency personnel and stakeholders visited informal settlements across the municipality to educate communities on precautions to take to avoid fires and what to do in the event when a fire breaks out.

“Community members were urged to take the necessary precaution because shack fires lead to unnecessary deaths and loss of property, leaving communities in the vulnerable state,” Mr Green said.

“Residents must ensure that they have the contact details of their local fire authorities at hand should there be a fire emergency.”
He also said residents are always advised to treat all electrical points as live at all times during power outages.
He said the municipality is attending to the power outages in phases.