Firebreaks to cut the spread of blazes

Volunteers help residents rebuild after a fire in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay on March 14. Over 15 000 residents were affected, with about 4 500 shacks gutted by the blaze, in which at least four people died. Picture: EPA

Volunteers help residents rebuild after a fire in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay on March 14. Over 15 000 residents were affected, with about 4 500 shacks gutted by the blaze, in which at least four people died. Picture: EPA

Published Mar 24, 2017

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Cape Town – The City Council has started blocking off areas of Imizamo Yethu to allow for road access and firebreaks.

The super-blocking initiative, which consists of four blocks, was started at Madiba Square, where fire kits were distributed to residents.

The provincial secretary for the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the Western Cape, Bongikhaya Qhama, said the city’s initiative was one which was beneficial not only for residents of the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement, but also for firefighters responding to emergencies.

Over 15 000 residents were affected, with about 4 500 shacks gutted by the blaze, in which at least four people died. Picture: EPA

“It is a good initiative for the safety of people and to create space in between the shacks, as land is often a problem in the informal areas around the city."

“However, it is important for us to mark this as a temporary arrangement, because in the long term, communities should have land as permanent solutions,” he said.

Meanwhile the IFP has questioned the plans by the city to spend R100 million for the redesign of the area to install firebreaks, pedestrian walkways and other basic and emergency services, calling for the city and Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, to urgently intervene and provide the Imizamo Yethu shack dwellers with decent housing.

“It is high time now for the City of Cape Town to prioritise the provision of housing to shack dwellers. Every time there is a shack fire, we are told that there is provision for temporary housing for shack dwellers but not decent houses."

“Shack dwellers must be provided with decent, permanent houses in order to prevent disasters where people lose their belongings and their lives."

“Shacks in Cape Town are most notorious for fires and flooding,” said the IFP national spokesperson for human settlements, Petros Sithole.

He added that the SA Local Government Association should intervene in the matter and advise local municipalities on how to address the issue as a developmental priority.

Fire and Rescue spokesperson Theo Layne said the initiative would ease firefighting while also allowing emergency vehicles to get closer to a fire. Super-blocking would prevent the large number of shacks being caught by fire.

Mayoral spokesperson Pierrinne Leukes said Block A1 and A2 would be completed soon, and if things went according to plan, Block 1 and 2 would be completed on Friday.

She said water points had been restored, and that sanitation and electricity would be provided, based on super-blocking.

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Cape Argus

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