Fire victims rebuild their homes, only to have them demolished by city

People who lost their shacks in October’s fire in Overcome Heights tried to rebuild their shacks on private land because their was no longer space to rebuild in their old locations. Photo: Bernard Chiguvare

Mayoral committee member for informal settlements Xanthea Limberg said the structures were taken down because a group had rebuilt over the boundary line, encroaching on another property. The city had previously instructed fire victims to rebuild on their original sites.

No space to rebuild on original site

But Boniswa Mahlasela, whose rebuilt shack was destroyed, said that she got her rebuilding materials from the city on 29 October and by then there was no space to build her shack on its original site. “I was renting a small space at the back of the other big shack. I had no space for rebuilding at the back so I decided to move to the open space,” she said.

Mahlasela has been staying in Overcome Heights for five years. “I was surprised that the city demolished my shack and am not sure where to go now. My structure was up already. I had put some of my belongings in it. My belongings were left scattered all over the place.”

Andiswa Mubazha, whose home was also destroyed in the fire, built her shack on the boundary for the same reason. “I borrowed used building material and constructed my own shack here only to witness the city pulling it down,” said Mubazha, a mother of five.

She is unemployed and depends on her children’s grants to survive. Some of her children are staying with her friends.

This article was originally published on GroundUp.