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; they would have to halt receiving their child support grant,” Nzuza said.
“Because we have been proactive with mobile units, today those units are bringing dignity back to the fire victims. Birth certificates have already been issued on the spot, and some survivors have received their documents today.”
He noted that temporary identification certificates and smart ID cards were also being processed for those who had lost banking documents.
“Our ability to respond on time has truly relieved the citizens here. It shows the impact of government working together for more effective relief,” he added.
Simelane highlighted the broader impact of the disaster, noting that fires across the Western Cape during the festive season had displaced thousands of people.
In Cape Town, the city’s fire and rescue service responded to over 2000 fire incidents in December.
Simelane emphasised the urgency of moving families out of overcrowded and unsafe informal settlements, advocating for high density housing and the acquisition of additional land for long-term solutions.
The Western Cape is ravaged by fires in summer as it is hot, dry and windy.
Nzuza said citizens needed to take preventive measures to prevent human-caused fires.
“We can’t have human created fires every year. It’s not sustainable that every time there’s a fire, we must waive fees and redirect resources meant for other priorities,” he said.
He also reassured citizens of the government’s commitment to assist all affected areas.
“We are not going to leave any area untouched. Within three or four days, we respond to affected communities to ensure safety and timely delivery of services,” Nzuza explained.
Simelane and Nzuza emphasised the need for proactive measures to mitigate future disasters. They included reducing overcrowding in informal settlements, implementing fire prevention strategies and providing transitional housing units.
They also highlighted the importance of enhancing collaboration between government departments and local authorities to ensure a more coordinated response to potential challenges.
“We must build safer, more habitable communities. These disasters cannot continue to displace people every year,” Nzuza said.
Despite the challenges, the swift response has brought a measure of hope to the affected community.
“It’s remarkable that such a devastating fire resulted in minimal fatalities,” Simelane remarked.
According to media reports, one person died of smoke inhalation.
The visit by the government ministers to the township coincides with the ANC’s anniversary celebrations.
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