The marquee tent housing a group of refugees at Wingfield in Maitland, Cape Town, since 2020, has been destroyed in a fire that broke out on Thursday.
The group had been among the hundreds of refugees who protested outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Cape Town in October 2019.
Also read: Fire at Wingfield refugee camp
When GroundUp arrived on the scene on Friday morning, we saw a large contingent of law enforcement vehicles and a fire engine. The mobile toilets were burnt and the marquee tent destroyed. Some of the surrounding informal structures were relatively undamaged. Teams were busy with mop-up operations. Gift of the Givers were on site to provide aid. The local ward councillor was speaking to some of the people affected.
Mukanda Lambert, originally from the DRC, was in the tent when the fire started. “I couldn’t breathe properly. We ran out,” he said.
Some of the refugees set up makeshift structures opposite the site at an entrance for the Maitland cemetery. Many had slept there overnight, including women and children. Some had managed to save clothes and mattresses.
Mukanda Lambert, originally from the DRC, was in the tent when the fire started. “I couldn’t breathe properly. We ran out,” he said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown but investigations continue. No injuries or fatalities were reported. The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre said more than 200 people were affected by the fire.
Faraja Augustin, who fled the DRC as a young man, with his wife and children slept outside the Maitland cemetery after the fire.
Faraja Augustin, who fled the DRC as a young man, said they attempted to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and water, but it spread too quickly.
“Yesterday, we slept outside … The City told us they were looking to provide shelters.”
He said they wished to remain until the courts ruled on their situation.
About 200 people lost their shelter and belongings.
The City and the national departments of Home Affairs and Public Works filed a joint application in the Cape High Court in June and served eviction notices to the refugee group in August. The matter is expected to be heard in April 2026.
The City said it was not yet in a position to comment on the way forward.
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