Massive relief aid has been offered to over 300 victims of a fire that recently ravaged over 100 households in the Masinenge informal settlement in Port Shepstone, with plans underway to help the families rebuild their lives. The fire claimed the life of a 31-year-old man and left one other person injured.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, led a government disaster response team on 9 July to provide relief to the affected community where the residents tragically lost their belongings in the devastating fire that occurred on 8 July.
According to CoGTA in KZN, a provincial disaster team comprising various government departments, local and district municipalities, public agencies, non-governmental organisations and private businesses, has been on the ground working tirelessly to provide the affected residents with food, shelter and assistance in obtaining new personal documentation.
MEC Sithole-Moloi conducted an assessment by walking through the burnt shacks to evaluate the extent of the damage and determine the required government intervention.
Expressing her sadness at witnessing such a devastating incident during the winter season, MEC Sithole-Moloi commended the prompt response of the relevant departments and volunteers who are helping to cook for the victims.
“While the government’s long-term goal is to provide decent housing, the immediate focus is on assisting the victims in returning to a sense of normalcy by rebuilding their homes. Some residents have already started rebuilding and the government will provide support wherever possible,” said MEC Sithole-Moloi.
CoGTA said that the disaster response team has provided over 400 blankets, 166 plastic sheetings and 200 mattresses to the victims.
The relief efforts are being coordinated from a local crèche, where the disaster response team operates.
In addition, private organisations such as the Red Cross, Wimpy, Engen and the Local Business Association, are providing three meals a day for all the victims. Social Development officials are also profiling the victims to assist them in replacing their SASSA cards and other personal documents.
MEC Sithole-Moloi, accompanied by the Director General from the Department of Human Settlements, confirmed that the victims would start receiving materials to rebuild their structures at the earliest possible time. The disaster response team will also aid in the removal of debris to clear the sites.
The MEC expressed gratitude for the support of social partners and private businesses in helping those who lost everything in the fire.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, and the MEC cautioned people to remain vigilant during the winter season. She emphasised the importance of not leaving fire, gas stoves or candles unattended.
Illegal connections were also identified as a challenge, and the communities were urged to exercise caution to prevent similar incidents.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Sipho Nkosi, recently paid a visit to the area, accompanied by both local and district municipalities and officials of the Human Settlements District Office.
The MEC received a firsthand account of the tragic events and also introduced the contractor who has been appointed to provide the homeless victims of the devastating fire with building materials to rebuild their homes and lives while waiting to be relocated as part of the ongoing Slums Clearance Housing Project within the sprawling settlement.
“We also deeply condemn the behaviour of some of the beneficiaries of the units of the Slums Clearance Housing Project who, on taking occupation of their units, had decided to lease them out for monetary gain and reverted to erect new shacks while boasting as landlords to tenants whom they are renting out their free, government-issued housing units perched on prime land near a golf course estate with a sea-viewing spectacle,” said MEC Nkosi.
The disaster response team, consisting of all the relevant departments, will remain on-site until all victims have been profiled and have received the necessary disaster relief.
