KNYSNA NEWS -She had battled for more than a decade before the June 2017 fires to establish a home for herself, she battled during the blaze, and for 66-year-old Patsy Singleton the battle continues as she still struggles to find a forever home for herself a year after the fire.

The crux of Singleton’s tale is this: since about 2005 she fought for the area known as Salt River, for the wildlife and for the families who lived there. In total, she has lived in the area for more than 20 years and has always held this specific little community very close to her heart. But never was she able to completely call it home.

'Years-long uphill battle'
She fought for the area to be declared a heritage site, along with 13 houses that stood scattered around the property. She fought for those living there, including herself, to gain permanent residency there, but by the end of this fight – brought on by the fires of 7 June 2017 – she is still left with nothing except the few belongings she was able to save.

In the earlier years she was able to secure heritage status for five out of the 13 houses, and ensured permanent residency for two families who had been living there for generations, says Singleton.

'All avenues exhausted'
“I fought for so many years, but after it all I still can’t find a place to go. Since the fires I have tried absolutely every avenue I could think of – from the municipality to NPOs to churches, but nobody has been able to assist. I have thought both inside and outside the box,” she says.

Currently, Singleton lives with friends in a home in Concordia Road – a place she says was only supposed to help for three months, but since she hasn’t been able to find a way out, she has had to stay on longer.

'Always ready to go'
“My camping gear is always packed and ready to go should the day arrive that I have no other option,” she adds.

On 28 March this year, Singleton even had a meeting with the mayor and department heads of Knysna Municipality. “During the meeting the mayor, who knew my story by that time, said, ‘Patsy has come to us for help, and we shall help her…’ – but since then I have not heard anything. I even gave her a proposal of possible properties the municipality had available, and where I could relocate to. In my last letter to them I even said I was going to the newspaper because I had no other way out,” says Singleton.

When she thinks back to the three-bedroom home she had on a little hill along Salt River, it is extremely obvious that she misses it as she fights back tears. Her emotions though, take over and start flowing – just like the tears that can no longer be held back.

At wits' end
“The feeling of losing my home and being without one? You don’t even want to know,” says Singleton. At this point, she takes a moment to collect herself and continues.

“It’s a lost feeling… I have had to start depending on other people where I have never had to do that. I’ve never not known what to do, but that is what’s happening now. I certainly don’t need much for me and my dogs,” she says.

Singleton knows that if she gave her dogs away finding accommodation would be easy, but “they are family”. “I could build my own place if I could just get a space, and of course I would pay rent,” she adds.

“I would have loved to go back there, but due to the pending development of the area I can’t.”

For 66-year-old Patsy Singleton the battle continues as she still struggles to find a forever home for herself.

'Seen as a vagrant'
She says she evacuated the area with her daughter Tracy, her son-in-law and two grandchildren, along with four cats and three dogs, to the Loerie Park clubhouse. They moved around for a couple of days, even spending one of these in George. “I remember the tunnel of fire we went through as we passed by Buffalo Bay,” she adds.

“One church even thought I was a vagrant at one point and wouldn’t even let me in the gate. I thought to myself, ‘Obviously no sanctuary here then’,” she recalls.

“Eventually I ended up where I am now. Tracy’s place was sold in that time, too, so she was also looking for a place. Three months was the deal to stay with my friend, and she and her family have been amazing,” says Singleton.

Light moment remembered
Among the sadness though, this fire victim can laugh and smile, and remembers a specific moment that made her cheer up.

“I remember getting to the Loerie Park clubhouse and immediately noticing a woman sitting at the bar, smoking, with a bottle of gin next to her. It was such a classic moment. I asked her, ‘Is that all you could save?’ and she said, ‘If I’m going down I’m going down drunk’.”

Patsy Singleton chats to Stefan Goosen.

At the end of the interview with Singleton she stresses that there are people she would really like to thank. “They are Clare, the owner of the current house; Lesley and family for letting me live here; my family for all the physical and emotional support; the Presbyterian church for financial assistance; Rotary for gift vouchers; all the kind people who clothed and fed us; my Rastafarian friends who were the first ones to ask what I needed; Jill Mathiesen; Thomas; Tartoo; Vicky; Hellen; Zak and Lynee.”

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