Toddler among two killed in Kennedy Road Settlement fire
Bandile Zulu and Nonhle Mbango, victims of Kennedy Road Informal Settlements fire. Image: Collage/ SUpplied/ MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma.
A 19-month-old baby and a 25-year-old woman died in a devastating fire that swept through Kennedy Road Informal Settlements, destroying 122 shacks.
According to officials, the blaze originated from a burning candle.
The victims have been identified as Bandile Zulu, the 19-month-old baby, and Nonhle Mbango, 25, who had recently buried her father just weeks before the tragedy.
Government response to Kennedy Road Informal Settlements fire
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said he engaged with Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane to coordinate emergency assistance for affected families.
'We wish to report that a roving team involving officials from the national Department of Human Settlements, the provincial Department of Human Settlements, and the eThekwini Municipality is already working out a plan to speed up the delivery of building material,' Duma said.
The MEC confirmed that officials from his office have already met with the bereaved families.
'We send our deepest condolences to Zulu and Mbango families. May the departed souls rest in peace,' he stated.
According to Duma, relief efforts awaited the completion of verification processes by disaster management teams from eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
ALSO READ: 'His brother is not coming back': Heartbroken mother speaks after toddler dies in Pretoria tent fire
Extended family notification
Duma indicated that authorities are prioritising communication with extended family members in distant areas.
'At this stage, their focus is to ensure that extended families in Mount Frere and Umzimkhulu are properly informed about the tragedy,' he said.
The MEC is working alongside Ward 25 Councillor Themba Mkhize to assist families with burial arrangements for their loved ones.
Recurring disaster pattern and relocation challenges
Kennedy Road Informal Settlements face persistent challenges with fires and natural disasters.
'Kennedy Road Informal Settlements are always affected by fires and natural disasters such as floods,' Duma noted.
The MEC expressed concern about settlement patterns despite previous relocation efforts.
Many residents who were originally relocated to alternative areas returned to the informal settlement.
'Critically, we remain worried about the fact that residents who originally lived there were relocated to the newly built houses in Waterloo and double-story homes just across Kennedy Road,' Duma stated.
During a recent meeting with Minister Simelane and eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba, officials agreed on stronger enforcement measures.
The leadership consensus focused on implementing bylaws to prevent people from reoccupying or renting shacks in the area.
ALSO READ: Six-year-old Limpopo boy shot in the head by stray bullet
Urban migration realities
Despite enforcement challenges, Duma acknowledged the broader socio-economic factors driving the growth of informal settlements.
People continue to migrate to eThekwini and other secondary cities in search of economic opportunities.
'These are realities that we are grappling with,' he said.
MEC spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya confirmed the government's multi-level response to the tragedy.
The spokesperson emphasised that building material delivery plans are already underway, pending final verification by the disaster team.
READ NEXT: George building collapse 'was entirely preventable' – report
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Invaded land: families hopeful they will soon visit the gravesites of loved ones
One of many gravesites of persons from the community that died as early as the 1940s. Image: Supplied THE families of those who were buried in the Seaview Cemetery are hopeful they will soon be able to visit the gravesites of their loved ones, after the land was invaded by informal dwellers more than 20 years ago. Some of the make-shift homes were built on top of gravesites. Siboniso Duma, the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal, said graveyards were sacred places and should be respected. He said the department was in the process of profiling the informal dwellers with the aim of relocating them. 'Our hearts are with the families of the departed souls that should be resting in peace in the cemetery. We recall that residents were forcefully removed from the area as a result of the Group Areas Act. Under a democratic government, they must be allowed to reconnect with their loved ones,' said Duma. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Informal dwellings have been erected next to or on top of gravesites at the Seaview Cemetery. Image: Supplied He said Max Mbili, the head of department, department officials, and a team of community based workers were in the process of profiling people living in the cemetery. 'While we understand that people are moving from far-flung areas to eThekwini in search of socio-economic opportunities and that there is a shortage of houses and land. We call on communities to respect the departed soul. Cemeteries are sacred places where the dead must be allowed to rest in peace. 'We now want to establish the identity of the people there, whether they received houses in the past in Welbedacht and sold them or rented them out. We also want to ensure that only South Africans are registered as per the government policy.' Duma added that the department supported the upcoming National Dialogue, which was spearheaded by President Cyril Ramaphosa. 'We will need to have our own dialogue in Seaview, Chatsworth, and uMlazi, among other areas. We must work together to ensure we allow families in the area or those who have graves on farms, and were forcefully removed, can go back to the graves to honour the deceased and connect with their heritage. Many former residents that were forced to leave their childhood homes for Chatsworth, due to the Group Areas Act, said they were unable to visit the gravesites due to restrictions at the time, and later the building of informal dwellings. Krishna Naidoo, 85, said the cemetery, initially known as the Seaview Vishnu Cemetery, was opened by his grandfather's uncles. 'They came to South Africa as businessmen, and not as indentured labourers. They formed the Seaview and District Hindoo Cemetery Trust and requested the authority of the city council to use the land as a burial ground in the late 1930s. 'They also used their own money to build the Seaview Shree Vishnu Temple, which was later demolished during the Group Areas Act. 'The cemetery is where my grandparents and brother were buried. There were also many other family members that passed on before the Group Areas Act that were also buried. 'I still remember it had a big gate and the sign 'Seaview Vishnu Cemetery' on it. We used to pass the cemetery on the way to school every day. We also cleaned the graves, put flowers and did prayers.' Naidoo said he had not visited the cemetery since being moved from the area. 'When we were able to freely move around again, it was difficult and unsafe to go to the cemetery as people began building shacks. We have had gatherings of old residents in the area, but we look at the cemetery from a distance. 'However, if they can remove those people who have illegally settled in the cemetery and clean it up, I would be happy. I also wish I could be buried next to my loved ones,' he said. Moonsamy Moodley, 78, said his father and several other family members were buried at the cemetery. 'I am left deeply saddened to see the state of the cemetery. We used to visit at least once a week to clean the graves, and sometimes put flowers if it was a special occasion. 'However, while it is not right to build houses on graves, I can understand that people have become desperate for homes or some type of shelter. I hope they will now get proper homes. We will hopefully be able to pay our respects to our elders again soon,' he said. Lalanthra Dass, 64, said her grandfather and his brother were buried at the cemetery. 'With the assistance of one of the residents, my father and I last visited the cemetery about four years ago. It was disappointing to see the condition, especially the damages to many of the gravesites. I can only hope that once the people are removed, the cemetery will be restored and maintained.' Gopaul Pillay, 77, wants to visit his mother's gravesite. 'My mother died when I was just a year old. I never had the chance to meet her and for many years I have not been able to go back to her resting place. There have been many occasions when I just wanted to drive to the area and visit the cemetery, but was told it was not safe. Now I have hope that we will be able to go to the cemetery.' Khaleel Kazi, a resident for the past 73 years and a community activist, said: 'The African understanding of ancestral worship is profound. You give dignity to these souls (the deceased) and sanctity to the hallowed burial ground. Therefore, what we have seen happen at the cemetery reflects the level that people have been let down and what they have had to resort to doing. 'It is a sad indictment on the leadership and promise in the document called The Freedom Charter, which, to a large extent, laid the foundations of our Constitutional understanding of Human Rights. 'The Department of Human Settlements now has this task of relocating these informal settlers. However, it must be noted that there is no shortage of land. The area around the cemetery is in the hands of the state and has remained vacant after the forced removal of Indians from the area and the expropriation of land. Why not use the land to build proper homes?' he said. THE POST
The South African
4 days ago
- The South African
Gauteng Education Department powers up online admissions for 2026 learners
The Gauteng Department of Education officially launched its 2026 Online Admissions System today, Thursday, 24 July. The launch marks the beginning of the application period for Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners at public schools in the province for the 2026 academic year. The Gauteng education Member of the Executive Council (MEC), Matome Chiloane, said 80,000 applications were processed. Parents and guardians who want to apply can submit their application online on any device by visiting The 2026 online admissions application period will close at midnight on Friday, 29 August 2025. There are 81 walk-in centres across the province, where parents and guardians who need assistance can visit. After registering, the system will prompt users to create login credentials (username and password). They will need to register new profiles as old login details will not work. During the application, users are urged to select three to five schools. All schools will remain open and accessible on the system during the application period. Chiloane said the launch was successful and there were no major glitches to the system. He also called for calm during the application process. In addition, the upgraded platform can now handle up to 40,000 applications per minute. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Gauteng opens 2026 school admissions online
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has officially switched on the 2026 Online Admissions System, marking the start of applications for parents and guardians with children going to Grade 1 and Grade 8 at Gauteng public schools in the 2026 academic year. Speaking at the YMCA in Ga-Rankuwa Zone 5, the MEC expressed confidence in the department's online application system. 'I have just received confirmation that 80 000 applications have already gone through since the opening this morning. The parents are responding positively, and we are anticipating that we will have a much larger number by the end of the day. So far, so good. I have not received any complaints about glitches. There hasn't been a system crash, so all is well,' Chiloane said. The YMCA in Ga-Rankuwa Zone 5 serves as one of the 81 walk-in centres across the province, where parents and guardians who do not have access to the requisite resources can get assistance. Parents and guardians can submit their application online on any device by visiting The 2026 online admissions application period will close on Friday, August 29 at midnight. The MEC said significant upgrades have been made to the province's online admissions system aimed at improving user experience and processing efficiency. 'Every year after we have done the application process, we do a review and engage a couple of stakeholders that interact with the system, the learner, parent, SGB just to get feedback as to where can we improve. 'Largely, it has been improvements in communication that we have made. When you apply you get an SMS that shows you have completed the steps,' he said. The MEC said another major enhancement was the system's processing capacity. The upgraded platform can now handle up to 40 000 applications per minute, reducing delays and improving turnaround time during the high-traffic application period. 'We have also improved as well on allowing parents (mother and father) to apply for the same child but obviously the system will only give them an option of 5 schools, so there has been quite a lot of improvement in the system, we have done quite a lot,' Chiloane said. How the system works All parents need to register new profiles. Old profiles and previous login details will not work. After registering on the system will prompt parents to create login credentials (username and password). 'Parents must keep these credentials safe, as they will use them to access the Online Admissions System, and view and manage their profile and application details. 'Parents must accept the POPI [Protection of Personal Information] disclaimer, enter their correct ID number and details, and remember to read and accept the Terms and Conditions,' Chiloane advised. Once parents have gained access to the system, they must begin with the application process and ensure that they complete the 5 step application process. 'It is essential for parents and guardians to fill in correct and accurate details in every step of the application process as prompted by the system. Documents must be uploaded or submitted within seven days of applying. 'Registering a profile without completing every step of the 5 step application process will result in an incomplete application and the applicant not being considered for placement,' he said. To receive important SMS notifications and updates regarding their application(s), applicants must provide one reliable and correct cellphone number when registering. 'Every step of the application process will be confirmed via SMS for security and verification purposes. There will be weekly pop-up messages on the system and SMS notifications sent to registered applicants as reminders to complete their application. 'SMS notifications will also be sent to parents to acknowledge submission and verification of documents. Therefore, parents are encouraged not to change or lose their cellphone numbers, but in unforeseen cases the department must be contacted for assistance,' the MEC explained. He encouraged parents to use the Home Address Within School Feeder Zone option when applying on the system to see schools with feeder zones that cover their home address. To increase the chances of placement closer to the parent's home address, parents should select schools with feeder zones that cover the parent's home address. When applying, parents are urged to select a minimum of three schools and a maximum of five schools. All schools will remain open and accessible on the system for applications during the application period. Closing date No new applications will be accepted once the application period closes on August 29 at midnight. Parents are advised to not fall for scams that charge a fee to assist with applying online. 'Bogus operators are scamming parents by falsely promising guaranteed placements in exchange for money. All scams and illegal placements must be reported to the GDE. The GDE does not charge any fees for assisting parents with the application process, all official support is completely free,' the MEC emphasised. For more information, assistance or comments: • Call 0800 000 789 • WhatsApp 060 891 0361 or • Email: [email protected]
