WATCH | More than 100 homes destroyed in KwaMashu fire

Solani Majola was in disbelief as she tried to sift through the ashy remains of her home, which was one of nearly 100 that caught alight in KwaMashu A section, north of Durban, on Monday.

“I was at work. When I checked my messages at lunch time, I had 10 missed calls,” she said. 

She soon learnt that her worst fears had come true. “I have nothing left, the damage that has been done is great. All I have are the clothes on my back.”

Majola, who works at a factory and has lived in the area since 2005, said she was not sure where she would spend the night.

“At the moment I am not sure what to do. I am still searching and hoping someone was able to break into the house and get some of my things out. I put my name down on a list but I am not sure what it is for,” said Majola, who lives alone.

KwaZulu-Natal emergency medical services (EMS) spokesperson Robert McKenzie said firefighters were on the scene battling the blaze.

“About 100 informal dwellings have already been destroyed in the blaze. Paramedics from KZN EMS have already treated four patients for minor injuries,” he said.

Although the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, residents say they saw who started it.

Tholakele Nene, 33, claims a woman was burning waste at the nearby train tracks when the fire got out of control. 

“I told her to stop but she assured us that the fire wasn’t going to reach us, so I went back inside my house. I  ran out and there was a large fire. We went to the police station and they took my statement and phone number,” she said. 

Nene said that all she, her 20-month-old child and the child’s father were able to take out of the house before it burnt down were three bags of clothes and the child's clinic card.