Centre facilities, such as toilets and doors were damaged during their stay, he said.
“This place is for the pleasure of the community, it's for their events and recreation, not a shelter. So it became difficult working with them. The place is dirty now.”
Matloga said some of the occupants had also broken into his office, stealing his laptop and other belongings.
The Usindiso building, on the corner of Delvers and Albert streets in Marshalltown, is owned by the City of Johannesburg and had once served as a shelter for abused women and children. However, the building was “hijacked” by illegal landlords who charged residents more than R1,000 a month for accommodation. Highly flammable shacks were erected in some areas and doorways were blocked, which hampered firefighting efforts.
A commission of inquiry into the fire, chaired by retired judge Sisi Khampepe, was initially to begin in September but was postponed because of the unavailability of suitable premises. The deadline for the submission of the first report was December 30.
The city has yet to reveal whether a venue has been acquired or when the commission will resume.
'From the first week we had issues': manager at shelter for Usindiso fire survivors
Image: Kgaugelo Masweneng
Criminal elements were among the group of survivors from the Usindiso building fire housed at the Hofland recreational centre in Bezuidenhout Valley, Johannesburg, according to one of the managers.
On Wednesday police and home affairs officials relocated the group to new shacks in Denver, south of the city, from the centre where they had lived in temporary accommodation since August. NGOs assisted the survivors with food and clothes after the fire which killed 77 people and left scores homeless.
One of the managers of the recreational centre, Vincent Matloga, said he left the centre two weeks ago as he feared for his life.
“They were difficult to look after and work with. From the first week we had issues, we recovered drugs among them and had to involve the police,” said Matloga..
“They demanded money from us and food. Some NGOs stopped bringing food and the supply was not the same.
“It was shocking when they started demanding their exit packs [groceries offered to those leaving the centre] and we got reports from the community that they were selling the food to them. They left donated blankets outside. It was a mess.”
Agony as child goes missing during relocation of Usindiso fire survivors
Centre facilities, such as toilets and doors were damaged during their stay, he said.
“This place is for the pleasure of the community, it's for their events and recreation, not a shelter. So it became difficult working with them. The place is dirty now.”
Matloga said some of the occupants had also broken into his office, stealing his laptop and other belongings.
The Usindiso building, on the corner of Delvers and Albert streets in Marshalltown, is owned by the City of Johannesburg and had once served as a shelter for abused women and children. However, the building was “hijacked” by illegal landlords who charged residents more than R1,000 a month for accommodation. Highly flammable shacks were erected in some areas and doorways were blocked, which hampered firefighting efforts.
A commission of inquiry into the fire, chaired by retired judge Sisi Khampepe, was initially to begin in September but was postponed because of the unavailability of suitable premises. The deadline for the submission of the first report was December 30.
The city has yet to reveal whether a venue has been acquired or when the commission will resume.
TimesLIVE
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