City of Cape Town vows to assist Khayelitsha residents
Residents of Khayelitsha in the Western Cape have started rebuilding their homes destroyed in a devastating blaze at the weekend.
More than 1 300 people have been left homeless following the blaze.
Hundreds of shacks were destroyed in the informal settlement on Saturday morning, leaving one person dead.
“They will be back in their structures by tonight,” says the City of Cape Town’s JP Smith.
Building material were given to the families of about 342 structures which were destroyed in the fire.
According to Smith, authorities will assist those displaced by issuing any official documents which were lost and learners currently writing their examinations.
“Various relief agencies were activated to assist with relief and clothing. The South African Social Security Agency authorised 3000 meals that will be distributed.”
He says local government fears the possibility that another fire might rip through the community.
“We strike to meet our housing delivery targets. When we are doing the rehabilitation, as we are doing now, we include the opportunity for fire brakes so that the area is less susceptible for fires. We are making sure we can convert the informal settlements to formal structures,” says Smith.