A Week Later, Cape Town Fire Victims Still Wait for Relief

Victims of a fire in Kosovo informal settlement have started clearing the areas where their homes once stood. Their homes were destroyed last week, but they are yet to receive relief assistance from government.

Residents of Kosovo informal settlement in Samora Machel, Cape Town have been battling to put their lives back together since their homes were destroyed in a fire last week.

More than 100 shacks were destroyed, leaving about 500 people destitute after losing all their belongings, including school uniforms and supplies. It was the second fire to ravage the settlement in less than a month.

But more than a week later, families are still waiting for help from the City of Cape Town and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

SASSA Western Cape manager Shivani Wahab said the City only notified the agency of the incident on Wednesday this week. Relief, in the form of a once-off payment, should be issued soon.

Wahab said SASSA relies on the City’s data collected from fire victims.

Since the fire, many people have been sorting through their charred belongings to salvage and rebuild their homes.

Resident Pumlani Ncedo said a few years ago, it was easier for fire victims when the City gave building material, but this was stopped due to budgetary constraints. This has led to many fire victims using burnt corrugated iron sheets to rebuild their shacks, he said.

Another fire victim, Thamsanqa Grootboom, said they spent “days in the cold because we did not have material to rebuild our homes”.

“We were assured that we will be provided with building material but that did not materialise. A week later we have not been helped,” said Grootboom.

Ali Sablay from the Gift of the Givers said they went to assist Kosovo residents soon after the blaze, providing meals, blankets and mats. “We are currently engaged with the community. Once the structures are up, we will provide each family with a hamper,” said Sablay.

Last week, Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell said, “Assessments are still underway to determine the number of persons affected. Once the assessments are completed, information is relayed to SASSA and the National Department of Human Settlements.”

Powell said officials compiled a list of fire victims but community leaders asked that submission of the list be delayed because some people whose shack’s burnt had not yet returned from holiday.

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