Drugs, crime, poverty and prostitution have become the order of the day in one of the temporary shelters housing victims of the deadly five-storey Marshalltown building fire that killed 77 people in August.
Yesterday, The Star visited the Hofland Recreation Centre in Bez Valley, near Kensington, where more than 200 victims, including children and women have been staying for the past 46 days since the incident.
A caretaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the security personnel meant to guard the place had fled, leaving no one to protect the centre during the day and at night.
“This is not a shelter, but a recreation centre. We were told that the victims will be here for 72 hours and they will be sent to an appropriate facility, but that has not happened almost two months after the fire.
“Another thing, crime has sky-rocketed in the area, and sometimes the women who live here conduct their nightly businesses in one of the rooms here. Just this weekend, the storeroom facility was broken into by the same people who are staying here. We fear for our lives as workers. There are constant fights and sometimes guns go off in the middle of the night since the victims started staying here,” said the caretaker.
According to one of the victims of the fire who declined to be named, the break-in into the storeroom was due to management’s refusal to give the affected victims food supplies.
“We recently had a problem and the people were forced to break into the storeroom as the children and the people were without food. As for the situation here, things have become bad as the donors have become less and less recently. There are children who are constantly hungry and not going to school. Sometimes there are fights because of the situation,” she said.
A man who identified himself as Peter Mbwambo and a fire victim, said all he wanted was to be able to work again. This is after he lost all his belongings to the fire.
Mbwambo said he was willing to testify at the commission should he be given an opportunity to do so.
“I am willing to testify as I was there and saw everything. My life has come to a standstill as I lost my tool box, money and clothes in the fire. My hope is that we will be given piece jobs so we can rebuild our lives,” he said.
Early in the day, retired Constitutional (Court) judge, Sisi Khampepe announced that the inquiry would begin its public hearings on October 26.
The inquiry, to be chaired by Justice Khampepe and supported by advocates Thulani Makhubela and Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena as well as a team of evidence leaders, is now ready to proceed (with) its work following a series of “teething problems” that affected its start early this month.
Justice Khampepe urged victims and their families as well as interested parties including NGOs and law-enforcement agencies to come forward and volunteer information that will form part of the commission’s investigation into the real cause of the fire.
“We urge people who have information into the circumstances surrounding the death of at least 77 people and a dozen more others injured and homeless at the Usindiso Building on Albert and Delvers Street, Marshalltown, Joburg CBD, to provide that information or evidence to the commission by either delivering it to the secretary of the commission at Sunnyside Office Park, or via email or to make arrangements for the purposes of delivering a statement under oath or handing over the evidence,” she said yesterday.
She said following the “teething problems” which derailed the start of the inquiry, the commission had been able to secure the venue of the inquiry.
She also assured victims and family members of the commission’s support and the provision of psycho-social services to deal with secondary trauma arising from their testimonies.
“The commission is aware of the trauma that the victims have endured whereas the proceedings of the commission are intended to contribute on the path to closure for the victims, the commission appreciates that it may add to secondary trauma to the victims. As a result, psycho-social services will be made available to the victims and the commission, at all material times,” she said.