More 250 people were left homeless when their shacks were gutted by fire over the weekend at Imizamo Yethu informal settlement outside Cape Town, Western Cape. Gift of the Givers teams were deployed to the informal settlement to assist the families whose homes were gutted in the fire. 

FAMILIES AFFECTED

Gift of the Givers' Ali Sablay said at least 250 residents were affected, adding that the number was likely to increase. He said 60 structures were affected and that firefighters managed to contain the fire before it spread further. "The fire occurred just after 7pm, last night. All credit is due to the fire department who worked through very difficult conditions to put out this fire. It was a bit too late for disaster management teams to go into the area. The situation was very volatile.' 

FIREFIGHTERS TO THE RESCUE 

City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the city was alerted about the fire shortly after 7pm on Sunday. Carelse said 18 fire engines were taken to the scene and managed to contain the fire just after midnight. "However, crews were once again confronted by a volatile crowd blocking access to the fire. Law enforcement and the South African Police Service (SAPS) had to be called in to stabilise the situation,' he added. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported. The cause of the blaze is unknown. 

HAUNTED BY FIRE 

In September 2022 over 500 families were displaced after a fire gutted 105 shacks. The fire was not the first as a few others were reported, however it was the largest. Joanne Chemaly of Thula Thula Hout Bay, an NGO that offers various relief efforts at times of fire, flood and ocean-related disasters, said the city used to be able to provide fire victims with a starter pack, usually poles and sheets, to help rebuild their homes. " But now with the budget constraints after Covid-19, they are no longer able to do so. Now, apart from the financial outlay to replace their personal belongings, they are also trying to find equipment to rebuild their houses,' said Chemaly. She explained that the organisation's aim and objective is to create a centralised drop off and distribution system offering coordinated relief to victims of disaster in the valley.