Midrand complex fire | Residents reject property owners' proposal for alternative accommodation

JOHANNESBURG - Residents of the Midrand complex that was gutted by fire have rejected the property owners' offer of giving them their deposits back to look for alternative accommodation. 

They're demanding to be housed by the property owners until they can get alternative accommodation. 

This comes after a blaze engulfed the property late on Tuesday night at Broadwalk Urban Village residential complex in Midrand where residents were left homeless.

Residents say they have received no assistance and they need the issue to be sorted out immediately.

Tebogo Seloane, a resident and community leader at the Midrand complex says, "We had a community meeting, they were giving us suggestions of what they can do for us and many people rejected their proposal."

"They were basically saying they will give our deposits back and people will look for their own accommodation, but this does not help the immediate situation for the residents. Residents will like to be booked at a hotel like they did yesterday until next week, end of month so they can get their things sorted out," he added. 

eNCA asked a question regarding the possessions people lost in the fire and what kind of assistance the residents have received.

Seloane responded by saying, "We have received no assistance, this is part and parcel of what the community was engaging on. We stated that they must bring Home Affairs here, bring everybody here that can come and assist us so that we can be able to do things here because nobody can go and look for new places. 

"You will need an ID, you will need a passport, you need those kinds of papers and none of these people have those. All those kinds of documents and papers have all burnt, so they cannot look for a new place."

"We hope the management is watching and taking this seriously and hopefully they will find solutions today. Let them book hotels for these guys like they did until next week so that they can have accommodation and sort out the situation that they are in right now," he continued.