Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has hired a private company to demolish homes of fire victims at Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay in order to re-block the informal settlement.
This would enable improved access routes, walkways in between shacks and fire-breaks to ensure that risk in future is minimised.
The deadline to demolish one of the four sections was reached on Monday, and the Red Ants, with the help of an elected 30 residents, knocked down about 100 homes.
The City’s community liaison officer for the informal settlements directorate, Loyiso Nkohla, reached an agreement with the residents to allow the re-blocking.
Mayor Patricia de Lille’s spokesperson Pierrinne Leukes said the City had hired the Red Ants “because that is the consensus we have reached with the community”.
“We are in agreement that it is in their best interests to ensure that plots are subdivided fairly and safely,” said Leukes.
She added that 2 100 residents had been registered and each would be provided with an emergency kit.
City commences super-blocking in Imizamo Yethu https://t.co/b4rX5a8mwB pic.twitter.com/r1n4yUbIZU
— Patricia de Lille (@PatriciaDeLille) March 22, 2017
“Water points have been restored. Water, sanitation and electricity will be enhanced/provided based on super-blocking, but interim measures will be in place in the meantime.” said Leukes.
The community are divided about having their structures demolished, with some stating they believed that not all of them would be accommodated in the new structure.
Leukes said residents defying the demolition of “their structures will have to be (forcefully) removed by law enforcement”.
She said the City had obtained a court interdict preventing anyone from rebuilding on the fire site.
Fire victim Lungelo Grootboom said he agreed to have his shack demolished hoping that the City will keep its word to accommodate him on the new structure, but his fear was that the agreement which community leaders reached with Nkohla was not written on paper, but was done verbally.
Grootboom said he would stay with family while waiting for the re-blocking to be completed.
Zukisani Gogwana said he would allow his shack to be demolished once he sees the development commencing and being completed in the first section.
“Where am I expected to stay while the City is busy with its re-blocking? And we don’t know when it will be completed,” said Gogwana.
“It could take months because there is a lot of engineering and surveying work to be done,” added Gogwana.
Meanwhile, volunteers distributed clothing and food to thousands of fire victims at the soccer field.