KNYSNA NEWS - Fear seems to be the one thing locals think of when reflecting on the Knysna fires that ripped through suburbs, parts of an informal settlement and ravaged the town.
Nwabisa Pondoyi recently took to the streets and asked residents about their feelings and experiences a year later. What follows is what residents had to say.
Azola Sonqayi: "When people talk about the fire, I think loss, fear, loss in that order. My aunt lost some of her valuable possessions during the fire, things she can never get back."
Desré Read: "It burnt in our yard and the houses around us, we thank God we had enough water to put it out – we were very very lucky. I think of the fire and remember feeling complete terror. How quickly the fire came down the hill! I never thought it could come through town. The one positive that came out was seeing people working together. Yes, the next day people walked like zombies, but they stood together."
Judith Dewaal: "We were not directly affected by the fire but my husband works for MTO Forestry, so he was constantly away fighting the fire. First thing that comes to mind when people make reference to the fire, is fear."
Siziwe Sojada: "My house was not affected by the fire but by the strong winds that came with it. My roof almost blew off, the tiles from the ceiling and skirting were affected. Some people might have something positive to mention after the fire but I don't. People who needed help after the fire, including myself, didn't get any kind of help from the municipality or anywhere else, for that matter.
Cynthia Mfatyelana: "Witnessing people lose things they have worked for all their lives is heartbreaking. One can only imagine how shattered they must still be, knowing that they were not insured and have to start from the beginning with very little help or no help at all. My house didn't burn down but the fire got closer and closer which caused anxiety, and that is the same feeling I get when I think about that day."
Thembisile Bungane: "My shack burnt to the ground and I lost everything I owned – 10 years of hard work down the drain. I even lost my ID and none of it was insured. Now I have to start from the beginning. There is nothing positive that could ever come out of losing everything and no words can ever fully describe the feeling one gets watching everything disappear up in smoke."
Zeinab Abdi Hidig: "I was not directly affected by the fire because we stay in Hornlee, but we had to accommodate some of our friends who were affected. The first thing that comes to mind when people talk about the fire is fear."
Gloria Kondile: "The town was surrounded by fire at some point. Right in the middle of all that terror I honestly thought it was Judgement Day. Our house didn't burn down but we helped friends put out fire and watched them lose things they worked hard for. That was heartbreaking."
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