Relief for disasters reaches thousands

THE CITY of Cape Town’s disaster risk management centre (DRMC) has provided humanitarian relief to thousands of residents affected by nearly 700 fires in the past six months – including victims of the Imizamo Yethu fire in Hout Bay in March.

“Cape Town is the only city in South Africa that has service level agreements with NGOs for humanitarian relief in instances of disaster-like floods or fires. The city’s new organisational development and transformation plan focuses on excelling in basic service delivery… ” Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said.

Between October 2016 and mid-April 2017 the DRMC co-ordinated relief for 686 fire incidents, including more than 500 000 meals, 28 500 blankets and nearly 5 000 mattresses, and just over 20 000 adult and baby vanity packs.

“The city provides humanitarian support to our most vulnerable residents in times of crisis. Generally, this includes indigent residents, tenants in council rental stock and those living in backyards or informal settlements. Some incidents are easier to manage than others where the amount of work and co-ordination is absolutely mind-boggling,” Smith said.

“I commend disaster risk management, but also our NGO partners, the public and businesses who all pull together in times of need,” he said. Over the same period, the DRMC had also conducted fire safety awareness programmes in a number of areas, including Gugulethu, Philippi, Lavender Hill and Masiphumelele, reaching about 30 000 residents.

The FireWise public awareness project was a door-to-door campaign involving the distribution of calendars and pamphlets with tips on the prevention of fires and what to do when a fire occurred. “Fire prevention awareness happens on a daily basis. The city’s DRMC and the fire and rescue service do more than 800 sessions a year educating communities on various safety measures. The reality is that many fires are the result of negligence and often substance abuse plays a role too.

“Electrical faults are another headache, with over-populated wall sockets and illegal connections. So, while we as the city have a massive responsibility to safeguard residents, as with most things it is a two-way street that requires residents to play their part in being fire-wise and responsible,” Smith said. – ANA ONE Chinese man decided to see the world on the back of a small 250cc motorbike, and it’s a been an incredible experience, he said.

Jieming Sun, 27, from Shanghai was on the road for 16 months , travelling to London and from there to Africa, ending in Cape Town. He is planning to make his way back to China by June.

“I was getting tired of my job and I wasn’t learning anything new and a friend suggested I join him on a motorcycle trip to London. The other reason was to challenge myself.

“The experience (travelling Africa alone) exceeded my expectations and the most valuable has been the people I met and the kindness I’ve been shown,” he said. “People just opened up the houses and hearts to me.” – Staff Reporter