Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Many animals from Imizamo Yethu fire still at welfare home
ANOTHER dimension to the March fire that claimed two lives and devastated Imizamo Yethu, is the number of domestic animals that perished in the fire and the number of people separated from the animals they love.
Officially, the SPCA reported 16 animals died in the blaze. But employees and volunteers for the Domestic Animal Rescue Group (Darg), who were in the front line rescuing 106 animals during and immediately after the fire, say they saw dozens of dead cats and dogs in the cinders.
Uzusiphe Nkuzo is one of many residents of Imizamo Yethu waiting to be reunited with his dog while the community and the city debate how the settlement is to be rebuilt. A psychology student, he is now living in one of the tents the city has temporarily set up for people displaced by the fire. His pitbull, Boy, used to roaming the streets and sleeping along- side Nkuzo, lies looking gloomy in its kennel at Darg. Boy has been there for three weeks and Nkuzo tries to visit him as often as he can.
Another dog lover is Benjamin Njaba, an Imizamo Yethu fruit-seller, whose family has been split up since the disaster. With the sound of several neigh- bours hammering together new homes in Donse Yahke, the area of Imizamo Yethu where Njaba lives, he recalls how the blaze broke out at 11.30pm. With the fire approaching, he ran down the slope with his family and their two dogs. His home and everything in it was destroyed.
Njaba took his dogs to Darg for safekeeping. They were then taken in by the SPCA to relieve the overcrowding. Njaba says he was surprised to discover that his dogs had been sterilised.
Volunteers at Darg say some of the dogs they rescued were badly burnt. The organisation has had to build makeshift spaces for the extra animals. The animal shelter is disappointed the city seems to have ignored this dimension of the fire’s aftermath. No help has been forthcoming, despite requests for co- operation between Darg and the city.
Darg has been unable to get answers from the city about how its reblocking plans and redesign of dwellings in Imizamo Yethu will take into account the domestic animals many people keep. Darg was not set up as a disaster management shelter for animals, says Ryno Engelbrecht, a facilitator at the organisation. Engelbrecht says that the city is in violation of its own by-laws and has abrogated its responsibility to animal welfare at Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg, presuming Darg will step into the breach.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security, and social services JP Smith said, “The SPCA is included in the activation of the disaster co-ordinating team, activated when a major incident/disaster occurs in the city. The SPCA does have a contingency plan to deal with animals that have been displaced. With regard to the IY fire, they were activated.”
The SPCA says it was alerted to the fire by the City of Cape Town, members of the public and Darg. It decided to co-ordinate all its efforts around Darg as a focal node of collections and drop-off point for animals. Some animals were taken by other welfare agencies, like the SPCA, which reports having taken in 34 fire-affected dogs. Some have been claimed, but the majority are still with them, Darg says.
The city did not respond to GroundUp’s questions on these issues. – GroundUp