The Usindiso fire might have long been extinguished, but more than two years later, the survivors of the blaze are still suffering.

Many of the hundreds of residents of the Usindiso building in Marshalltown, Johannesburg who survived the deadly fire in the building on 31 August 2023 continue to face hardship and are still living in temporary accommodation or in buildings that lack basic services.

Many of the survivors were initially placed in shelters and then moved to a newly established temporary relocation area (TRA) near the Denver Men's Hostel.

Survivors who moved to Denver complained about crime and flooding in the area, and a number left the hostel and moved into small shacks. While many still live in Denver, other survivors are scattered around the Johannesburg CBD and nearby informal settlements.

Shootings and flooding

Residents say the Denver TRA has been infiltrated by criminal elements.

Thobeka Biyela, a resident at the Denver TRA, was hit on the hip by a stray bullet this year. She had an operation and lost her unborn baby in the process.

"I was shattered to lose my child," she said. "I was sleeping in my shack during the day when I was hit."

She...