No aid yet...

Just a quick update, I just spoke to Nolundi and she informed me that the building material had not yet arrived, and that those who wants to eat has to go down to the Strongyard to get food.

The fire happened on Thursday evening past, it is now Tuesday. I am counting 5 days without proper food or sleep for some old people!

Zone 0 has shot up over the weekend, but too many plots are still 'houseless'

(Nolundi and her child, our tour guide for today, 

in a mushroomed neighborhood)

I made another journey to the fire station and Zone 0 today, accompanied by a very friendly student journalist from the Matie newspaper, whose mission was to get video footage for a short video, which they will be releasing soon.

At the fire station we discovered that the fire kits (the aid building material) did not arrive today as was expected… this was a shocker!

It did sound as if the registration process is complete, or very near completion, so I would expect that tomorrow would be a big day in terms of the delivery of the aid.

I was also interested in finding out the details of what happens to those people who do not have fire insurance, which will be a pretty high percentage. I was assured that there is a plan to help, but it does make sense that it is still a little premature to worry about that, as the immediate needs are to get a roof over the heads of those who still does not have one, clothing to all the victims, and blankets.

On arriving at Zone 0 we were greeted by a very friendly lady called Nolundi, and after talking pictures of her with her friends and their children, she became our free of charge tour guide through Zone 0. This helped a lot to get to know what was going on…

Well, the tour was a whirlwind!!

On the ground at Zone 0 we saw nothing short of a human made miracle! I would estimate that about 50% of the houses were up again; 20% still need material to complete the building and 30% are not started yet, because they do not have any building material. This is a rough guestimate.

(new homes that shot up over the weekend)

What worries everyone on the ground, are the following issues:

• Many women, old people and some men, are still without building material. And the rain is threatening…
• The same woman and old people are also without blankets and food. They cannot leave their plots to walk way down to the Strongyard hall for food. And there does not seem to be food points close to Zone 0. Some people do go down to the Strongyard hall to sleep, but most simply do not want to leave their plots until houses are up again.
• Ablution facilities. I did see 4 toilets and they do not flush. They are not enough, and I did not see anyone looking after them (as I understood would be happening; remember the ‘toilet theft’ issue…)
• There are heaps of trash in the streets, and far too little containers to put it in. A skip or two would have made sense. Maybe there are, I didn't see any.
• There is at least an ablution block, but it really is inadequate for the amount of people that should use it. We walked through too many houses before coming across it.

(the 4 water-less toilets close to a huge rubbish heap)

The most pressing issue is the ‘fire kits’, the blankets and food at the shacks for those who’s houses are not yet standing.

I have made a solemn promise to all the people I spoke to, that I would return on Wednesday 20 March, to follow up on the ‘fire kits’ and the blankets issues, and I also promised to make some tough 'phone calls' if this had not happened by then.

Below are some photos of people without building material, and an incomplete (but community vetted) list of names and plot numbers of people requiring building material, and/or blankets and clothing.

I assume the official registered list will contain this information in far greater detail and completeness… but, just about all these people voluntary gave me their mobile phone numbers, so I do aim to verify that they got their aid. Let’s call this a ‘concerned citizen delivery assurance audit’ list:

Lulekiwe Ngesi	0.183.A
Nomeikayise Mnari	0.233
Nomganga Pricia	0.136A
Nwabisa Khali	0.258
Lindiwe Mpini	0.196.A
Sakhe Quetsu	0.221.C
Sylvia Boysoza	0.179.A
Thuliswa Mini	0181
Nogawa Megazi	0115
Bassitret	097B
Mabarwana	P02159
Thembela Magazi	0115
Noluvo Mphothulo	0116
Siyanda Holoti	0106
Nesikazi Botozo	0129
Nolusindiso Nzuzo	0112
Ntombozi Mahlikinla	022
Mzukisi Galado	0118
Vuyani Zekani	0292
Khanyile Nkebethwana	096C
Phatheke Tokhwe	0154
Puseleiso Selai	0135C
Xoliswa Sileyo	0112D
Sidiayiya Momosadi	097A
Qavane Nomtha	0105
Nkalitshana Siyabonga	0112B
Xolile Lamani	0214A
MPateni Ndileka	068
Zukolwetu Khedema	068
MVeyile Tshekelwayo	0220C
Nkosikho Lomani	0234
Vuyisile Siswana	0117
Fuzeka Tyhalisi	0118
Vusumzi Mbembe	0112C
Pusumo Mpotulo	0116A
Nomvimbi Mini	0121
Thembelani Mpateni	068A
Nozkule Mkhahlu	0177A
Nompumzo Dlongwana	0114
Thuliswa Magagu	0.111
Thandiwe Nompowelo	0132B
Nonkohiseko Mpathweni	0220A
Nompulelo Gumede	0123
Bulelwa Mthi	0217A
Mthuthuzeli Zekani	0292A
Nqwenelwa Tswetu	0120
DeBuseng Mapane	047C
Thembelani Mpatheni	068A
Zintle Mondle	0114A
Sandise Mhlawuli	0154
Nosibhozo Mhlawuli	0154A
Nosisi Gqongqtathwane	0134A
Nosipho Mhombi	0122A
Azola Booyi	0134B
Xolani Nompondo	0132C
Mandeka Mnyanda	0166
Thembakazi Mthetho	0213
Ester Ntoyaphi	0148A
Nobubele Ntoyaphi	0110
Mondi Nkosibonile	0114A
Khululekile Tofile	0110
Abongile Jezile	0166A
Nontuthuzelo Mlunguza	0136A
Ndlusindiso Nduda	0.128B
Asanda Timothy	0338
Bonga Ncokazi	0.194D
Kwanele Dangqzele	01949
Mthunzi Sotashe	0.94B
Nofirst Mtshotana	0.148B
Patrik Dangazele	0.194C

Zone 0 is slowly rising again... many questions remain.

(Zone 0 being re-built)

I paid a visit to the Stellenbosch fire department this morning, and a little later went up to Zone 0 and down to the Strongyard hall, to get a feeling for what is going on.

I found a hive of activity at all three places. My impression of the emergency response team at the fire station is, they have a solid emergency plan, and they have taken many details into account… even care for the babies, an emergency mobile clinic, aids medicine and TB precautions, food health and safety and a mobile ID re-registration unit.  

(Clothing being sorted at the fire station)   

The fire station officials confirmed from an aerial photo taken yesterday, that the number of temporary structures (homes) destroyed by the fire was around 1265. If we assume that an average of five people say in each structure, then we get up to 5000+ affected individuals.

I got confirmation from both the fire station and from Zone 0 that people are not sleeping hungry… for now. What does worry me is what will happen in a week, two weeks from now, when the disaster plan is no longer in effect. But for now, the food  IS coming through to the people and clothing to the fire station.

(Strongyard food distribution point)

The first major task that is being carried out by the Stellenbosch emergency relief team, is to register all the victims of the fire. It sounds as if the victims will have to wear well secured arm bracelets, so that they can legitimately claim aid in an organised way. This sounds hectic, but it does make sense.  

(Strongyard aid registration)

What is amazing to see, is how the greater Stellenbosch community is lending a hand to the brothers and sisters in Kayamandi. Many employers are helping their employees back on their feet again. The obvious question is: but what about those people who are unemployed? …which seems to be a pretty high percentage of the people at Zone 0…    

(Wood arriving from some employers to their employees)

Well, this coming Monday those families who have been officially registered, will receive ‘fire kits’ from the folk down at the fire station. A fire kit consists of some iron sheets, wood and nails. The municipality has to fork out around R3000.00 for each of these (which I find surprisingly high by the way). But hey, it is fantastic that these will arrive, and it looks like there should be enough building material for people to rebuild their temporary homes.

It also sounds as if each registered victim of the fire will receive around R1000 in cash, but I did not confirm this with the municipality…

I’ll pop in on Monday afternoon (the 18th) to see how all this is panning out, and to verify if there is enough building material and food and bedding for everyone, or if there is still a shortage…

Ok. Some of the issues that still exist on the ground are water and sanitary facilities (i.e. toilets).

About the toilets, the fire station people said they erected about 30 toilets at Zone 0, but someone or some group nicked them. When I spoke to some residents at Zone 0 they knew nothing about these toilets, and they wondered what people would want to do with stolen toilets in the first place…? In any case, new ones are promised to arrive soon, and this time there will be security personnel looking after these facilities…

In summary then, the immediate needs of the people seem to be met, for now, but many questions are being asked from the residents:

• Why was there no water points close enough for the fire-fighters to plug into?
• Why are we rebuilding another fire hazard?
• Why can’t there be one or more roads built that cut through Zone Zero?
• Why is there not enough decent housing available for the people to live in?
• What about all the stuff inside their houses that the people lost?
• Will they have to keep paying their TV licences?
• What happens when the official “disaster” is over… and the people do not yet have their cooking facilities replaced?

(Mxomisi Mashiya and Thandikhaya Mnyanda

- two of many residents who are asking good questions) 

These are brilliant questions that the people of Zone 0 are asking…

My future updates will be to ensure that everyone has enough food, bedding and building material, and then I think this blog will start exploring these hard questions asked, in much more detail…

Kayamandi burns again, aid is urgently needed

Kayamandi in Stellenbosch has been struck by fire for the third time in about 10 years.

The fire started last night 14 March 2013 in one of the shacks, and proceeded to obliterate just about the entire shanty town.

The estimate of  people affected is around 5000.

All of these people have lost their homes, their clothing, their living utilities such as cooking utilities, fridges, tools, electronic devices, mattresses, blankets, beds, cupboards, everything basically.


How can I  be of assistance?

The Stellenbosch Disaster Aid  is situated at the Stellenbosch Fire Station. From this central point all donations will be collected and distributed in an orderly fashion to the affected people in Zone Zero.

Mr Bernie Treptow from relief life (www.relieflife.org) has explained to a group of NGO's that it will be unwise to simply arrive at Kayamandi with any form of aid, if you do not already have a personal relationship with the people you are helping. The dilemma is that the help (labor, food or building material) has to go to the right people (in zone zero), as opportunism quickly becomes a problem, and the situation could lead to serious conflicts.

The official channel for aid is the Stellenbosch Fire Station, they are trained to deal with the immediate needs.

The need is great and supplies will be very welcome.

Here are some guidelines for short term aid:

• Blankets
• Mattresses
• Canned food
• Maize
• Clothing
• Building material (wood, poles, iron sheets and nails)

Please do not provide cooked food, or any spoil-able food items, as this could potentially lead to food poisoning (this has happened in the past).


Financial Contributions:

If you cannot find a way to get aid items to the Stellenbosch Fire Station, and you would like to make a financial contribution, such a contribution can be made at www.relieflife.org. Please just add the words 'Kayamandi Aid' to the description.


Future updates:

I will go to the scene in a couple of days again, and take some more pics, chat to people etc, and report back with more posts. I added an RSS subscription to this blog if you would like to stay updated...


Some more fotos of victims I met today: