- A devastating fire destroyed over 40 shacks in Taiwan informal settlement, leaving more than 90 people homeless.
- Residents are calling on the City to provide formal housing, stating that repeated fires endanger their lives.
- The City’s Fire and Rescue Service responded quickly but the cause of the fire remains unknown.
Fire victims from Taiwan informal settlement in Site C, Khayelitsha, are calling on the City to provide them with proper houses after their shacks were ravaged by fire on Sunday 20 October. More than 40 shacks were destroyed by the blaze and over 90 were left homeless. The cause of the fire is unknown.
The residents say their lives are in danger and are accusing the City of marginalising them.
One of the fire victims, Lulama Ralarala, said she lost all her belongings during the incident.
“The fire started at about 19:00. I received a call from one of my neighbours informing me about the shack fire. I was with my cousin in Harare. When I arrived, my shack was already burnt down. I’m left with the clothes that I’m wearing now.
“All my other belongings, including my documents burnt inside my shack,” she said.
She appealed to the City to assist them with formal houses.
Ralarala said she had lived in the area for more than 17 years and there was little development.
“I arrived here in 2006 when I was a student. Now I am the mother of two children and I still stay here. It’s not the first time this area has been affected by a fire.”
Nearby
The owner of the shack which reportedly caught fire, Sanelisiwe Sogingqa, said she was at a nearby shack with her friend when the shack fire started.
“I was called by one of my neighbours informing me that my shack was on fire and when I arrived the flames were all over my shack. The fire started in my bedroom. My mother and my three children were sitting in the dining room. They sensed smoke and when they investigated the flames were approaching the front and they ran outside,” explained Sogingqa.
She said they were unable to stop the flames as they spread so quickly. “I don’t know what started it because there is no stove in my bedroom, only my music system,” she said.
The City’s spokesperson for Fire and Rescue Service, Jermaine Carelse said they received the emergency call at 18:35 of structures burning in Taiwan informal settlement, Khayelitsha on Sunday 20 October.
He said a total of 11 firefighting resources attended to the scene from several fire stations with more than 50 firefighters to contain the blaze.
“Just after 21:00 the fire was extinguished and initial estimates are that a total of more than 40 informal structures were destroyed which left 90 persons displaced,” he said.
Devastated
Carelse said no injuries were reported and the cause is yet to be determined.
Ward 87 councillor Khayalethu Kama said the fire victims were devastated by the incident. He said he informed the City officials and the national office of the Department of Human Settlement regarding the incident to seek help.
“The City doesn’t provide the building material anymore. But, I called some humanitarian organisations to assist the victims,” said Kama.
“I also informed the Department of Human Settlement to assist the fire victims with building materials. We are still going to assess the situation.”
Explaining the issue of housing development in the area, Kama stated that it was not clear. He said a project meant to cater to the neighbourhood was transferred to the City last year.
“Taiwan was part of the N2 Gateway Project,” said Kama, “which was spearheaded by the provincial government. But late last year, it was transferred to the City. The City has started everything afresh. We are still waiting. We don’t know what will happen.”
