Daily Sun (August 12 2015) - RESIDENTS IN the squatter camp heard the sound of a man screaming and a woman fighting.
Later they heard other screams, but this time it was calls for help.
“A MAN FIGHTS WITH A WOMAN AND ALL THE PEOPLE SUFFER,” SAID A RESIDENT.
Residents from the tightly packed squatter camp at Kya Sands, Joburg told Daily Sun it appeared the man and his nyatsi were having a good time. But soon the sounds of passion turned into sounds of anger when the man’s woman arrived.
Resident Alfred Mashaba who was woken by the noise, said the argument lasted for almost an hour. “The woman was shouting, banging on the door, telling the man to let her in but he kept refusing,” said Alfred. “Eventually the noise died down. It seemed the woman had given up and gone away,” he said.
Alfred said he went back to sleep but an hour later he was woken again. “This time the screaming was from people calling for help to fight the fire,” he said.
He said he went outside and was greeted by flames and smoke. “People were running everywhere, crying for help as their shacks were burning. Then I realised my own shack was also on fire,” he said. “I couldn’t even save a single spoon from my shack. The fire was too big, and the fire ran around so fast we couldn’t stop it.”
It is said the silence the kasi enjoyed after the fight was when the woman went to get petrol. It appears she came back and poured the petrol over the shack and set it alight. “It’s a pity we all had to suffer for the sins of one man,” said resident Johannes Mhlongo.
The two lovers and the nyatsi all ran away and no one knows where they went. About 25 shacks were burnt down and about 70 people left homeless.
Ward councillor, Matome Mafokwane said they will do everything they can to help people, especially with food and a place to sleep.
Gauteng emergency services spokeswoman, Nana Radebe said their investigations could not determine the cause of the fire. “No injuries were reported. We have organised with some NGOs to provide the residents with food and shelter,” she said.
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