Johannesburg Fire Survivors still Waiting for Aid and Housing

It has been two years since a devastating fire tore through a Johannesburg building on 31 August, claiming 76 lives in one of South Africa’s worst residential tragedies. The disaster has often been compared to the UK’s Grenfell Tower fire. Yet, despite government promises of housing and support, many survivors remain homeless and feel forgotten.

Among them is Vusi Tshabalala, who escaped the blaze by wrapping himself in a wet blanket. Two years later, he says little has changed. “Different places, they take us. But they didn’t provide us with anything. I don’t see any change. If people are still living like this, I do not see any change,” he said.

Another survivor, Thobeka Biyela, volunteers with the police. Earlier this year, she was shot while asleep at home and now lives with a bullet still lodged in her body. She relies on daily pain medication and fears for her safety. “It’s not safe here. I really blame the government for what is happening,” she said, adding that the temporary housing she was promised has yet to materialize.

Nomzamo Zondo, executive director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa, says that moving survivors into proper accommodation has been a slow and complex process. While some efforts are underway, she warns meaningful change will take time.

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