Left destitute by shack fire

Lubisi Mbolekeni's sunburnt face strained as he pleaded for something to eat and wear.

"I don't even have a spoon because the fire took everything I own. Please somebody, anybody, help us," he begged as a shiny aircraft passed overhead en route to Cape Town International Airport.

Mbolekeni is one of more than 160 people from the Lusaka informal settlement, along the N2, who lost their home in a fire on Wednesday.

Yesterday, dozens of men braved the heat wave to build homes from corrugated iron and wood, sponsored by the City of Cape Town.

Richard Bosman, the city's executive director for safety and security, said it was suspected that the fire started after a cooking device was left unattended.

Bongi Bega, 35, watched the fire, which started in her neighbour's shack, burn dozens of homes to the ground in minutes.

"The children were screaming and crying and we grabbed buckets of water but we could save nothing. All I have are these clothes," she said.

"The city brought us food and blankets but we need nappies for the children. And perhaps some soap. It is not nice to smell like this," said Bega.

Bosman said that since November the city's fire and rescue services had responded to 4978 fire-related incidents in Cape Town, including false alarms.

In Swellendam, inland in the Western Cape, 75 brave men and women battled through the night to bring a fire under control.

Yesterday, chief fire officer for the Overberg District Municipality Reinard Geldenhuys said the fire had been burning for a week in the Marloth Nature Reserve.

"People don't understand how difficult it is to bring this fire under control. I challenge anyone to try putting out a fire burning 3m high, in temperatures of 36C. The hot, dry and windy conditions are not helping," said Geldenhuys.