City moves to prevent disastrous shack fires
RESIDENTS affected by the New Year’s Day fire that claimed five lives and left 4 000 people destitute in Khayelitsha’s BM Section will today be shown different options the city has for them to help prevent another devastating shack fire.
This was announced by Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille at a memorial service for Luyanda Ngcebetshane, Lunga Krexe, Sivuyile Gqodo, Nkosiyako Lako and Zukile Magada, who died in the Khayelitsha fire.
De Lille told about 600 people in the OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha that a crisis committee formed after the fire had held meetings with community representatives and councillors, among others, to discuss the short-term needs of affected families – many of whom had been accommodated in the hall since losing their homes.
“I have, over the past week, held meetings with the community to address their immediate needs and the longerterm future of BM Section,” De Lille said.
She conveyed the city’s condolences to the bereaved families and said the tragedy had strengthened the city’s resolve to prevent such shack fires.
Alfred Maxhi, speaking on behalf of the bereaved families, lashed out at politicians he said did not care about people and were only after their votes.
“I don’t care if it is the DA, the ANC or the UDM,” he stated.
“All we want is for them to sort out themselves so we can have better living conditions.”
Khayelitsha Development Forum chairman Michael Benu said the township would be 30 years old this year, but could not celebrate three decades of existence if thousands of families still lived in shacks and people died in shack fires.
He called on all spheres of the government to work together to address the needs of poor and marginalised people.
He said a permanent place to live was the only solution for the families affected in the BM Section fire, which razed about 800 shacks.
“We also call on all community leaders and churches to work together,” Benu said.