Families left homeless after shack fire

Four shacks burnt down at the Sonderwater settlement behind the Shandumbala area in Windhoek yesterday.

Seven people are affected and the cause of the fire remains unknown.

Derline Nowases (50), who lives at the settlement, yesterday said it was not the first shack fire in the area.

“This will reoccur if we continue living close to one another. We have requested from the councillor that we are relocated and that shacks are built at a distance from each other,” she said.

One of the victims, Martin Katura (60), said his wife had to be hospitalised upon receiving the news that their home burnt down.

“We have lost everything we have worked so hard for. My wife is in hospital due to shock, and I am sad,” he said.

Caitlyn Bock (16) said she is busy with school examinations, and it’s unfortunate that the incident took place during this time.

Albertus Gamatham (18) yesterday said: “I was not home when the fire broke out. I leave home in the early morning hours to go and collect scrap, since that’s how I put bread on the table,” he said.

Gamatham said the main challenge going forward will be reapplying for the national identification documents he has lost in the fire.

A group of residents at the settlement says their grievances, such as a lack of electricity and development in the area, have fallen on deaf ears.

The residents are accusing the constituency councillor of neglecting his duties.

Johanna! Uiras yesterday said: “The councillor was at our settlement urging us to vote for him. Now when such incidents occur, he is nowhere to be found and is not coming at our rescue,” she said.

Katutura East constituency councillor Richard Gaoseb could yesterday not be reached for comment.