Group laments lack of compensation in Usindiso building fire report
The Marshalltown Fire Justice Campaign has called for fair compensation for the victims and survivors of the Usindiso building fire.
The Usindiso Commission of Inquiry’s report found the City of Johannesburg liable for the devastating fire that claimed the lives of 77 people in Marshalltown in August 2023.
The commission’s chair, Justice Sisi Khampepe, released part one of the report on Sunday.
READ: Khampepe points finger at Joburg, city entities for Usindiso fire
A spokesperson for the Marshalltown Fire Justice Campaign, Mametlwe Sebei, believes the survivors deserve meaningful justice and compensation.
"We are disappointed that the report fails to recommend compensation for the victims and survivors of the fire, who have suffered immense loss and trauma,” he said.
"This will be essential if survivors are to have any chance of rebuilding their lives.”
Sebei said the city had since provided alternative accommodation for the survivors in Denver.
"Since being relocated to their temporary accommodation in Denver, victims have faced repeated flooding, with at least ten incidents since last December.
"This has forced them to relive the trauma of losing their possessions multiple times. Moreover, the initial lack of electricity meant that survivors had to resort to candlelight, which only added to their distress considering the fire's origin.
"The city must take immediate action to address the dangerous conditions that led to the fire and ensure that such a tragedy never occurs again,” he added.
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