Sunday, 31 August, marks two years since a devastating fire tore through a Johannesburg building, killing 76 people in one of South Africa’s worst urban disasters—often compared to the UK’s Grenfell Tower tragedy.
But for survivors, the pain has been compounded by broken promises.
Many remain homeless, still waiting for the government to provide housing and improve safety in the city’s overcrowded inner-city blocks.
Vusi Tshabalala, who escaped the blaze by wrapping himself in a wet blanket, says he feels abandoned. “Different places, they take us. But they didn’t provide us with anything.
If people are still living like this, I do not see any change,” he told the BBC.
Another survivor, Thobeka Biyela, continues to live in fear. Earlier this year, she was shot while asleep in her temporary accommodation.
“Doctors left the bullet in her body, and she relies on pain medication. “It’s not safe here. I really blame the government for what is happening,” she said.
Lawyer Nomzamo Zondo, executive director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa, says moving survivors out of temporary shelters has been slow.
With the G20 summit set for Johannesburg in November, President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a cleanup of the city. But Zondo fears the changes will be cosmetic.
“The G20 is just two months away. In that time, it’s unlikely much will be done. Our hope is that commitments to improve the inner city will outlive the G20.
“We want dignified housing for the poor and to prevent another Usindiso,” she said, referring to the name of the building where the fire occurred.
Two years on, survivors say their struggle is far from over.
