Cape Town - The Moravian Church of Southern Africa has made available land for emergency housing for the victims of the devastating fire at the Moravian Mission Station at Wupperthal in the Western Cape on December 30, 2018, the church said on Sunday.
The fire left hundreds of people homeless and destroyed several cultural buildings that formed part of the country’s national heritage and treasure, the church said in a statement.
The church had made available two pockets of land measuring about seven hectares within the mission station for emergency housing for the victims as a temporary arrangement. The proposed sites would be used for the provision of more than 60 households which were destroyed in the blaze.
The Western Cape human settlements department would lead and implement the provision of temporary emergency sheltering within the coming week in partnership with local authorities, the church statement said.
The temporary emergency shelter would also provide for water, sanitation, and electricity and other basic services.
"While the sheltering plan will be implemented for emergency resettlement by the human settlements department of the Western Cape government, plans are under way to develop a new township taking into account the cultural and national heritage significance of the town in consultation with the Moravian Church of Southern Africa as the registered landowner," the statement said.