Picture and Words: Peter Luhanga / Groundup
Nolwandile Yolwa, who relies on a wheelchair, narrowly escaped with her life from a fire that swept through Siyahlala informal settlement in Dunoon, Cape Town, on Friday.
The fire, in the early hours, left at least 47 people homeless.
Yolwa's son, Hlanathi, 23, woke to frantic cries. He rushed to rescue his mother, carrying her to safety moments before the flames engulfed her shack.
Then he returned to the blazing shack, braving the heat and smoke, determined to salvage what little he could. He managed to retrieve his mother's medication and a few items of clothing. But he was unable to save their identity documents. The wheelchair was also destroyed. He and his mother are left with little more than the clothes on their backs.
