Human settlements help displaced fire victims rebuild homes for new year

The human settlements department is trying to help 87 families displaced in Siyahlala, Zulwini and Ekuphumuleni in the Du Noon informal settlement in Cape Town rebuild their homes and reunite with their families before the new year.

This is part of their intervention programme after a series of fire disasters over the festive season in the Western Cape. 

The department said teams from the City of Cape Town human settlements and emergency housing officials were working with them to hand over more than 290 fire kits to affected households, with Du Noon receiving about 188 in the three different settlements, 59 at Wag 'n Bietjie informal settlement in Nomzamo, Strand, and 44 in Kosovo. 

Cape Town disaster risk management centre reported statistics for several fires: 

• 143 structures were destroyed, leaving 544 people displaced in Ekuphumleni, Du Noon; 
• 86 structures were destroyed and 450 people were displaced in Masiphumele; 
• 53 dwellings were destroyed, 132 people displaced and one person died in the Wag ‘n Bietjie informal settlement; and  
• 44 structures were destroyed and more than 150 people were displaced in Kosovo, Philippi. 

The emergency housing official team are concluding an assessment of more than 500 shacks affected by two separate fires in Langa on December 26, leaving 682 people displaced and 297 households affected. 

“I urge our communities to work with all spheres of government in line with the spirit of the district development model and in its efforts of finding suitable and habitable human settlements away from municipal servitudes, flood-prone and areas susceptible to fire disasters,” said human settlements minister Thembi Simelane.

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