Masiphumelele residents will have their homes rebuilt in the coming days, says CoCT

The City of Cape Town said it was still hard at work in efforts to ensure that fire-affected Masiphumelele residents have their homes rebuilt in the coming days.

The fire which broke out on Friday, gutted more than 1 000 dwellings. The cause of the blaze is unknown at this stage.

According to the municipality's latest assessment (on Sunday), more than 6 000 people have been impacted.

Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato, has signed the Local Disaster Declaration which will enable relief funding from national government.

Mayoral Spokesperson, Lyndon Khan said: “With the declaration of a local disaster now formalised, kits can begin to be distributed once the funding comes through and all necessary site reestablishment has taken place. This is not going to happen overnight it is a very complex and intricate process.”

Solid Waste Management Department officials are still clearing the debris, which is expected to continue until mid-week next week.

Law Enforcement officials are on-site to prevent the premature rebuilding of homes, as the area is not yet safe for rebuilding.

The City is adding a storage facility for donated items.

‘’We appeal to members of the public to please donate essential items such as blankets, baby food, nappies, baby milk and non-perishable food to Living Hope in Masiphumelele. Please also support animal welfare organisations that are collecting cat and dog food donations for the affected families’ pets. As a City, we are doing everything in our power to expedite the process of accessing the national disaster funding,’’ said Mayor Plato.

 

Done By: Mitchum George