Children miss school as uniforms destroyed in Philippi fire
Mother of three says she can’t afford new uniforms until the end of the month
A fire in Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi on Tuesday destroyed the possessions of dozens of families, including school uniforms. Photos: Sandiso Phaliso
Three brothers in Philippi, Cape Town, were among many children who missed the first day of the school term because their school uniforms were destroyed in a fire which ravaged Kosovo informal settlement on Tuesday.
The fire - the second in less than a month - left more than 100 shacks destroyed and about 500 people displaced, according to residents.
A few people managed to save their personal belongings but those who were at work when the fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon lost everything.
Anele, Anathi and Oluhle Vimba were among those who lost their school uniforms. “I don’t know how my children will start the school year with nothing. I had their school uniforms and stationery prepared and now this,” said the boys’ mother Nosakhe Vimba.
Vimba said she had lost everything except the clothes she was wearing.
She was not at home when the fire started. She was alerted by a neighbour and when she got home her shack was in ashes.
Vimba said she would not be able to buy new uniforms for her sons until the end of the month. For the moment, she said, she was focused on rebuilding her shack and putting a roof over the family’s heads.
Other families GroundUp spoke to also said they desperately needed school uniforms and stationery for children.
Families scrambled to save their belongings.
On 22 December last year a fire left over 100 people homeless in the same area. Vimba said shack fires were frequent and she pleaded for better housing.
Resident Mthetheleli Sibango said by the time the emergency services arrived, the fire had already intensified and there was no chance to save anything.
“Suddenly there were strong winds which caused the fire to spread faster. People watched as their homes went down in flames.”
Sibango said the firefighters had struggled to access the alleys of the informal settlement.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town’s Fire Service, said an emergency call had been received at 1:20pm and 30 firefighters had been deployed. The fire had been put out just before 6pm, he said. “No injuries or fatalities were reported and the cause of the fire is unknown.”
Carelse said the Fire and Rescue Service could not comment on claims that the firefighters couldn’t immediately get through the alleys.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire Service deployed 30 firefighters.
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