‘There is such a potential for that place to just blow’
The fire in a derelict building in Wynberg’s squalid Ebor Road that claimed the life of a woman has underscored the hazards posed by the slum-like conditions there, says the community police forum.
The body of the 29-year-old squatter was found on the first floor of the old Uli Heydt Butchery after a fire there on Monday July 31, and Nancy Krisch, the chairwoman of the Wynberg CPF Sector 1 Sub Forum, says her death could herald a much bigger tragedy.
“There are gas canisters, that people are using for heat and cooking in that building, and much more damage can be done... there is such a potential for that place to just blow,” she said.
“The biggest problem is that this is just not a dignified situation for anyone living there. They are living in squalor and in danger. I am sure there are people there that have no other place to go, but what happened last week can happen again easily. It’s just not a monitored situation and unfortunately we need to be looking at preventing further loss of life and injury.”
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith has described the premises as one of the City’s top-10 problem buildings (“City vows to act against owner of slum buildings” Bulletin, June 2022).
The late Uli Heydt owned 8 and 10 Ebor Road and 263 Main Road, which is divided by Ebor Lane. He went into voluntary business rescue after the City took him to court over a R5 million debt. A deal was made that saw the debt reduced to R1.3 million and the properties removed from the City’s top-10 problem-buildings list. However, the City says Mr Heydt reneged on the deal by not paying up (“Pushback against slum creep continues” Bulletin, July 2022), and, according to ward councillor Emile Langenhoven, the buildings were put back on the problem-buildings list.
The fire department was alerted to the fire just before 10am, according to City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse.
“The cause of the fire is still unknown. The first floor was completely destroyed and the ground floor partially damaged. The deceased’s body was found on the first floor.”
Amien Kamaldien, a resident of the area for 10 years, said he had been taking a walk when he noticed the fire.
“Someone came out shouting, ‘We need water.’ I went to turn around. We tried throwing the water, and tried to get a hosepipe, but it didn't work. We didn’t know there was someone inside.”
It was only after they realised the fire was too big for them to fight themselves that they heard the screams for help.
“She was locked up in her room,” said Mr Kamaldien. “Her boyfriend that lives with her locked her up in the room before he went to work, and that’s what prevented her from getting out. But we couldn't get up the stairs.”
Sharon Visser, who squats on the first floor of the building, identified the dead woman as Michelle and said she had been a close friend. She said Michelle came from George and had two children, although they did not live with her.
She thinks Michelle might have been asleep when the fire broke out as she recalled her saying she was going to sleep and asked not to be disturbed.
Since the fire, many people had either moved away or found new places to sleep, she said, adding that she had now found a new spot on the second floor of a derelict building next door.
A joint operation by police and City officials at the buildings in October last year sparked hope that the area would see some improvements (“Crackdown at Wynberg slum,” Bulletin, November 2022), but Mr Langenhoven said the raid had little effect because the owner had not secured the buildings after the raid.
“The illegal occupants that were removed quickly moved back into these buildings, and two days later, a fire had broken out on the Main Road side of Uli’s buildings. Thankfully, nobody was hurt during that incident, but the buildings remained illegally occupied after the fire,” he said.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life at 10 Ebor Road and only wish that the fire department had condemned the building sooner, or the owner had worked with the City to ensure the building was safe and secure. This would have prevented this tragedy and the loss of life.”
