Building collapse survivors waiting for help

GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - On Monday 1 July, Portuguese interpreter and volunteer Savern Oroogi, together with Rotary president Di Kershaw, took some food parcels to hand out to some of the building collapse victims who have been waiting for promised assistance from the authorities that has not realised yet.

Oroogi has been helping some of the survivors and relatives since the rescue efforts started, but when no aid from the authorities or employers seemed to be forthcoming, she garnered the help of Rotary.

Ivaldo Macamo

One of the Mozambiquan victims, Ivaldo Macamo, came from Cape Town as a plasterer for Father & Sons, a subcontractor that worked under the main contractor, Liatel Developments.

Macamo's right leg had to be amputated and his left ankle sustained a serious injury. He was staying in George temporarily for the Neo Victoria contract and on the day of the implosion was working on the first floor of the building.

He said it was a harrowing experience. He was rescued from the rubble at about midnight on the Wednesday morning, almost two days after the building collapsed at 14:09 on Monday 6 May. His right leg was caught under a large piece of concrete slab.

After being discharged from hospital, he went back to Thembalethu and is staying with another worker of Father & Sons who survived, Vuyokazi Singama. Here Macamo's girlfriend, Sibahle Dumekhaya, has been assisting them.

Macamo said he got a call from Liatel Developments on Monday 1 July to inform him that they are waiting for information regarding insurance money payouts.

George Herald approached Theuns Kruger, owner of Liatel Developments, in this regard who promised to respond in due time.

Vuyokazi Singama

Singama said she was extracted from under the rubble about an hour after Macamo. Caught under a concrete slab, she broke some ribs and her pelvis.

Her right foot had to be fixed with wires that have in the meantime been removed. She has now progressed from a wheelchair to moving around with a walking frame. There were two other women and a man near her under the rubble, but they passed away. She remembers that they were still talking, saying that they wanted to sleep, but she encouraged them not to.

"I told them let's pray, let's pray, and then we prayed. Then I fell asleep and must have been out for a few hours."

The rescue team with whom she had been able to communicate thought that everyone had died, but she awoke. Her sense of humour has not been lost and she laughs, saying, "I was calling for water all the time and got frustrated because they were promising they would get me out, but it was not happening."

Other survivors

There are various others, like Virgilio Sitoe from Mozambique who was rescued after two days, escaping with a broken rib and injured foot.

His wife Rosita came to South Africa when the implosion happened. They have four young children in Mozambique to support.

Wakisa Ndambo's wife, Mercy, died in the implosion and he was left with their eight-month-old baby.

Elias Thabete from Johannesburg is also recovering from injuries and is currently remaining in George as he will be under doctor's treatment for yet another month. He was working at the top of the building when it imploded.

According to Rotarian Donald Goldfain, Gabriel Guamba, the tiler who was saved after 118 hours, enjoyed a huge amount of press coverage, and even ministerial visits and promises. He has also not received any assistance yet.

"Gabriel's name apparently appears three times on one of the beneficiary lists, and yet it was only on 26 June, 51 days later, that we were able to get him onto the DSD system. He was only partially documented at Labour and we were able to resolve that and get him listed by sharing information we had with Labour.

"We could not get to see if he was registered with the UIF, he had not yet received any food parcels, and no one has contacted him. He is traumatised, on his own, and has no idea what to do."

Sarvin Oroogi (brown jacket) speaks to Wakisa Ndambo whose wife died in the implosion. Seated are survivors, Elias Thabete (left) and Virgilio Sitoe. Felix Kasonda, brother of the deceased Mpatso, is at the back. On the right is Di Kershaw, president of George Rotary Club.