By Lee-Yandra Paulsen

Gift of the Givers (GOTG) has been assisting hundreds of individuals impacted by the recent infernos on the Cape Flats over the Easter Weekend. Ali Sably, spokesperson for GOTG, provided insight into the situation.

“There was a massive fire that broke out on Saturday evening and continued until the early hours of Sunday morning, which led to the displacement of thousands of people. The first fire occurred in the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa,” explained Sably.
“While the teams were assessing the situation and preparing for humanitarian aid distribution, they received another call from residents in Dunoon, who informed them that their informal settlement was also on fire. As a result, many people were left without shelter and support.”

Sably further mentioned another fire in Mfuleni, where tragically two lives were lost. He emphasized that from December until now, GOTG has responded to over 50 fires, aiding close to 20,000 people in the City of Cape Town alone. Sably stressed that permanent housing is the only viable solution.

“People have lost everything, the trauma for the women and children as tomorrow is back to school, imagine the children, all their schoolbooks, bags, and school uniforms completely burnt.,” said Sably.
“The National Department for Human Settlements was on site, working with local authorities at provincial and local levels to determine alternative solutions, such as temporary building kits.”

He also addressed the issue of the construction mafia, asserting that they hinder vulnerable populations, particularly in the province, from attaining dignified living standards.

“The construction mafia hinders vulnerable communities from achieving dignified living. Urging cities to act swiftly, we believe addressing this issue will facilitate relocating people from informal settlements to permanent homes. Winter brings added challenges, with the risk of fires in summer and heavy rains in winter disproportionately affecting those in informal settlements,” stated Sably.

VOC News

Photo: COCT