Komani Community Rallies Around 77-Year-Old Fire Victim

A 77-year-old man who lost his home, his wife and his daughter in a fire two years ago has finally received help after being found sleeping on a floor sponge in a broken wheelchair in Ward 16.

Hluphekile William Siyoko, also known as Bhisto, and his household of nine received emergency relief on Tuesday in a community-driven handover led by South African Communist Party (SACP) Ward 16 candidate nominee, Comrade Lwazikazi Mpange.

Siyoko has been living in a degrading temporary structure in Polar Park, Mlungisi, since the fire that destroyed everything he owned.

According to community members, Siyoko was confined to a severely broken and hazardous wheelchair, with no bed, no clothing and no state assistance reaching him two years after the disaster.

On Tuesday, SACP members and Mlungisi residents pooled their own resources to deliver:

– A functional wheelchair to restore his mobility and safety
– A double bed and mattresses to get him off the cold floor
– Essential clothing for the family of nine

“Today, the community and dedicated SACP comrades proved that solidarity is our greatest weapon against neglect. By providing this wheelchair, this bed, mattress, and these clothes, we have restored a piece of Mr Siyoko’s dignity that the state failed to protect,” said Mpange.

Mpange said while the handover brings immediate relief, it is only a stopgap.

“But let us be clear: community charity cannot substitute for constitutional rights. This handover is an emergency stopgap. The Department of Home Affairs and SASSA must now mirror the community’s urgency and resolve the documentation crisis locking this family out of grants and jobs,” she said.

The family’s biggest hurdle remains paperwork. All identity documents and birth certificates were incinerated in the fire.

As a result, five adult children in the household cannot legally seek employment, and two young grandchildren are blocked from receiving SASSA Child Support Grants. The family says they cannot afford the Department of Home Affairs fees to replace the documents.

“We thank every community member and comrades who dug deep into their own pockets to bring this functioning wheelchair, double bed, mattress and clothing items today,” Mpange said.

The family is now appealing to Home Affairs and SASSA to intervene and help them replace their documents to access social relief.