Nine homes gutted in fire

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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Nine Mossel Bay homes were destroyed on Wednesday, 2 September, in a fire that presumably started due to an electrical short circuit.

The fire, according to information received, took place shortly after the power supply was restored following load shedding.

The informal settlement just off Calitzdorp Street, KwaNonqaba, where the homes caught alight, is said to be riddled with illegal electricity connections.

"The afflicted families lost everything they had," said Sgt Kappie Kapp, spokesperson of the KwaNonqaba Police. "A four-month-old baby miraculously escaped certain death."

Photos: Fire destroys nine homes

Municipal spokesperson Nickey le Roux, on enquiry from the Mossel Bay Advertiser, said it has not been concluded yet whether the fire was the result of illegal electricity connections. Le Roux, however, urged the community to report illegal connections.

"Municipal staff regularly remove illegal electricity connections. To ensure the safety of our staff, whose lives are threatened in the process, we can often only do this with the help of the South African Police Services' Public Order Policing Unit."

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Illegal connections removed
Le Roux said that during the past month, amid the Covid-19-pandemic, 135 illegal connections were removed. "A truckload of cables and power extensions were removed and confiscated. It was also noted that municipal infrastructure such as road surfaces were damaged in the process of connecting electricity illegally."

Members of the community, who lost their homes in the fire last week and all their belongings as well, requested the Advertiser to visit the scene on Saturday, 5 September.

They were in the process of rebuilding what they could, having obtained starter kits from the municipality.

A community spokesperson, Sindiswa Damwyi, said the kits obtained will have to be supplemented substantially in order to provide the necessary shelter to the fire victims. She also said the process of obtaining the starter kits was troublesome.

In response Le Roux said that normally a fire report is received as part of the administration and therefore fire victims are not required to go to Fire and Disaster Management Services themselves.

An affidavit made at the police station, is however a necessity. "The KwaNonqaba Police Station is conveniently situated next to the municipal offices, where the administration is done. On Friday, 4 September at 14:00 the fire victims visited the municipal offices and obtained their starter kits. Those whose structure burnt down wholly, received the full kit and those who had limited damage, only received poles and nails. The municipality unfortunately cannot supply transport to deliver the kits."

The starter kits consist of poles in various lengths, nails, a sheet of 250 micron plastic (15m x 3m) and galvanised roof sheets.

To report illegal electricity connections, send an SMS to 44802 or call 044 606 5000. Where possible, send an email to admin@mosselbay.gov.za.

Nine structures were destroyed by a fire, leaving several families homeless.