BACK TO SCHOOL: No school as fire eats uniform!

RESIDENTS of Sweethomes Farm informal settlement in the Western Cape are worried that some kids will not return to school.

A fire on Monday morning, 13 January, destroyed uniforms and stationery.

The residents said they had spent all their money on back-to-school necessities and are now struggling to deal with this unforeseen challenge.

The fire occurred a day after another blaze in the same area, which claimed the lives of a couple on Sunday morning, 12 January.

Resident and victim Nomalusi Sitsewu (45) said she lost all her belongings in the shack fire that happened on Monday.

She said these included uniforms and stationery for her 10-year-old son and twins starting grade R.

Speaking to Daily Sun, she said the incident had left her heartbroken.

"I'm not working, and I had saved money during the year and bought all the stationery for my kids. For all of them, it cost me between R2 500 and R3 000. I had bought them new uniforms, but all that has been eaten by the flames," she said.

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Another resident, Nomaphelo Dyantyi (40), said as parents, they don't know what to do next.

"We are in the middle of the month, and my house has been razed to the ground by flames. I don't know where to get new uniforms for my kids. I hope he will go to school next week.

"The mashonisa, who normally lends me money, will be around over the weekend. I will get money for his uniform so that he goes to school," said Nomaphelo.

Residents claimed the fire started from a shack where someone was warming water using firewood to take a bath.

Fire and Rescue spokesman Jermaine Carelse confirmed the incident.

"The City's Fire and Rescue Service was notified at about 10.40am of structures alight at Sweethome informal settlement in Philippi on Monday, 13 January.

"Fire crews from Gugulethu, Ottery, Wynberg, Mitchells Plain and Lakeside were on the scene. By 1.10pm, firefighters extinguished the blaze that razed several structures and left a number of residents displaced.

"Disaster Risk Management will provide totals after their assessments are completed. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and the cause of the fire is not known," said Carelse.