Over 700 shacks have reportedly been destroyed by the blaze, which razed through makeshift homes in Booysens last week Friday, leaving scores displaced.
Johannesburg, South Africa (27 January 2021) – The Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation has undertaken to release the national emergency housing grant to help the City with relief efforts in the wake of the raging fire that tore through the Booysens informal settlement.
Lindiwe Sisulu met with the Executive Mayor, Cllr Geoff Makhubo, the MMC for Housing, Cllr Mlungisi Mabaso and the MMC for Community Development, Cllr Margaret Arnolds to get a situation report on steps taken to house fire victims.
Over 700 shacks have reportedly been destroyed by the blaze, which razed through makeshift homes in Booysens last week Friday, leaving scores displaced.
The Executive Mayor, Cllr Geoff Makhubo visited the industrial suburb south of Johannesburg recently to inspect the extent of the disaster and committed all municipal services to ensure victims restore their lives.
“My thoughts and prayers are with these families following the tragic loss of valuables destroyed in the fire,” he says.
Cllr Makhubo says families affected by the blaze will be provided with temporary shelter at the local community centre, including food, hygiene packs and other resources to assist them to get back on their feet.
Minister Sisulu has pledged to support all efforts by the City to ensure residents of Booysens can restore their lives.
“We will enable the City to deal with this devastating situation effectively,” she says.
Sisulu says Rand Water will supply water to fire victims and ensure there’s adequate sanitation in the temporary shelters where they are housed.
Cllr Makhubo says 80 percent of fire victims are non-South Africans.
Minister Sisulu notes that she’ll rope in the Home Affairs Department to ascertain the status of foreign nationals affected by the fire. Cllr Makhubo adds that plans are afoot to de-densify Booysens to mitigate the sprouting of informal settlements.
by 