Johannesburg - Alexandra families whose homes were razed by fire on Monday spent their third night at a local creche on Wednesday night as councillors busied themselves with collecting material to rebuild their shacks.
Also paying them a visit was Gauteng Co-operative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements MEC Paul Mashatile, who said rebuilding the shacks was a temporary measure to ensure the 18 families had roofs over their heads.
Together with Joburg mayor Parks Tau, Mashatile assured affected families who gathered at Extension 8 that there was a more sustainable plan in the pipeline that would address the problem of squatter camps in Alexandra.
“We really can't upgrade Alex in its current form, as it is far too congested. If we continue to build and build, we are becoming more vulnerable to disasters like fires. What we are looking at is finding other space where we can take people to give them better services,” he said.
Mashatile also visited a family of five in Extension 5 whose shack was burnt down early on Wednesday morning.
Nosipho Ngobeni said a candle they lit after experiencing a power cut accidentally caught on a bed frill, setting their shack on fire.
The fire quickly spread throughout the shack, destroying everything.
Ngobeni’s mother was injured in the fire and is recovering in hospital.