Government helps Langa fire survivors rebuild their homes

By Thapelo Molefe

Nearly 1000 Langa residents in Cape Town are in the process of rebuilding their lives after a devastating fire destroyed more than 300 homes in the Joe Slovo area on Boxing Day.

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza visited the community on Wednesday to monitor government interventions and to offer support to the affected families.

The Human Settlements Department has distributed building materials to help families reconstruct their homes. 

Simelane emphasised prioritising vulnerable groups, such as mothers with young children, the elderly and individuals with disabilities, in the allocation of resources.

The Home Affairs Department has deployed mobile offices to assist fire survivors in replacing critical documents, such as birth certificates and IDs, free of charge. 

“Well, losing an ID document is a very disastrous and stressful thing. You can only imagine a child with no SASSA card or birth certificate;