​Over 20 families were left homeless and frustrated last week following a fire that ripped off shacks in Dukathole, an informal settlement in Germiston, Ekurhuleni.
The cause of the blaze that left many shacks burnt beyond recognition remains unknown.

The affected families are currently living with relatives, friends and neighbours. Most of them lost belongings such as identity documents, certificates, clothes, blankets, food, and furniture.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development in Ekurhuleni visited the families and responded to the disaster through assessments and determination of services required for intervention.

According to the department’s Community Development Practitioner, Phindile Sibuyi, the Ward Councillors and Disaster Management teams have visited the area and assisted affected families with household utilities such as pots, stoves, plates, cups, bathing dishes and buckets.

“The Department, through its Community-Based Intervention Unit, provided social relief of distress in a form of twenty food parcels and twenty blankets,” said Sibuyi.

She added, “The Department will further assist the families with full sets of school uniforms and dignity packs and ensure that lost ID documents and birth certificates are replaced,”

“Officials from the Directorate Sustainable Livelihood in Ekurhuleni Region will do follow-ups with the beneficiaries to ensure that they are linked to other sustainable livelihood services and any social development related assistance to affected families,” Sibuyi said.