KIDS from Khayelitsha in Section B, Cape Town were not able to attend the first day of school.
This because of a fire that destroyed over 50 shacks, leaving about 200 people displaced near the railway track along Japhta Masemola Road on Monday afternoon.
When the fire ate the shacks many people were at work and therefore lost everything.
The fire started at Bongiwe Matakane’s shack and spread to many others.
She said she suspected vutha.
“I smelt smoke and thought it was from my neighbour’s shack, but when I went out to check I was surprised to see the fire was from my shack.
“I rushed back inside only to realise my shack was already full of black smoke,” said Bongiwe.
She couldn’t save anything. What she managed to do was to ask her son to drive off their car, which was parked nearby.
Bongiwe said she would accept any help to assist her and her kids, especially with school requirements.
“We are grounded. I have four kids and all of them are still going to school. My twins were supposed to start Grade R but we are now hopeless,” she said.
Another resident, Nobengazi Kama (45), said: “The only thing I have is the clothes I’m wearing right now. Everything I owned burnt to ashes.”
“This time of the month and year we are really in a difficult position because there is no money. It means our kids will only have to go to school at the end of the month when we get money,” she said.
She said her two children were already at secondary.
“All the books and uniforms that we had bought have been destroyed by fire,” she said.
Residents were busy trying to rebuild their shacks while City of Cape Town officials were there to assist.
Fire and rescue spokesman Theo Layne said: “The fire and rescue team responded to the incident at 2.59pm on 15 January.
“Four fire engines and five water tankers and one rescue vehicle responded with 32 firefighters.The fire was out by 7.8pm. About 50 structures were destroyed, leaving more than 200 people displaced. No injuries were reported. The cause is undetermined.”