Khayelitsha fire

Residents rebuild after the Khayelitsha fire which ripped through the area of SST in Town 2 on Saturday morning / Photo: Luke Daniel

Khayelitsha fire aftermath: Resilient residents rebuild on sand and ash

The inferno’s wooden crackle has now been replaced by the monotonous bang of hammers on steel.

Khayelitsha fire

Residents rebuild after the Khayelitsha fire which ripped through the area of SST in Town 2 on Saturday morning / Photo: Luke Daniel

Thousands of displaced residents have begun to rebuild their homes following the devastating Khayelitsha fire which ripped through the area of SST in Town 2 on Saturday morning.

On the ground level, which has only just become cool enough to begin reconstruction, the situation is described as a humanitarian crisis. Armed only with thin sheets of corrugated steel, wooden planks, hammers, nails and resilience –1355 displaced residents, including children, toil under the fierce midday sun, determined to survive, resolute in rebuilding what has been turned to ash.

Khayelitsha fire destroyed 342 structures

The inferno’s wooden crackle has now been replaced by the monotonous bang of hammers on steel – what was once a complete wasteland less than 48 hours ago, is quickly transforming back into an informal residential sprawl; imperfect yet inevitable.

Themba crouches amongst the burnt out remains of a structure near where his home in SST, Khayelitsha, used to be. / Photo: Luke Daniel

At least 342 structures were completely gutted by flames on Saturday. The fire started sometime around 2:30 am. One resident was killed; it’s believed the flames originated from his shack. Unfortunately, as is the case with tightly cluttered settlements of wood and steel, the blaze intensified as it jumped from structure to structure, helped along by a fierce and infamous Cape Town gale.

SST resident Zakes standing on the site where his home burnt down / Photo: Luke Daniel

Democratic Alliance delivers ‘shack kits’

Local government, in the form of the Democratic Alliance (DA), has provided assistance to the embattled residents of Town 2, mainly in the form of ‘shack kits’ and meals. The City’s JP Smith confirmed that building kits included sheets of corrugated metal and plastic, wooden posts, nails, a window, a door and a frame for the door.

Building material supplied by the DA waiting to be put together in SST / Photo: Luke Daniel

Unfortunately, it would seem that the City is adopting a “one size fits all” policy when it comes to the allocation of building materials, meaning that, for example, residents who had lost a three bedroom structure would only be reimbursed with enough material for a two or one bedroom abode.

Residents of SST begin to rebuild their homes. / Photo: Luke Daniel

The DA has, however, vowed to prioritise the needs of matric learners who will be writing their exams this coming week. The Department of Home Affairs has been given clear instruction to assist families displaced by the blaze with crucial documents; prioritising the replacement of identity cards and relevant certificates.

Residents of SST begin to rebuild their homes. / Photo: Luke Daniel

The ongoing crisis of Cape Town’s shack fires

While City officials argue that overcrowding and improper firebreaks led to the wanton destruction in SST, local government is fundamentally responsible for the dire living conditions in townships surrounding the city. Ultimately, a lack of proper low-cost housing will continue to manifest as burgeoning informal settlements which lack the adequate infrastructure to mitigate such disasters in the future.

Khayelitsha fire aftermath. / Photo: Luke Daniel

And as Cape Town’s temperatures begin to soar, life for City’s poor is set to become more perilous. On Sunday morning, another blaze ripped through E52 Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi, destroying over 100 shacks and displacing more than 1000 people.

Until the City of Cape Town actively addresses issues of land, housing and spatial planning, shack fires will continue to displace and kill the city’s poor. While the city is left with this conundrum, it’s up to ordinary citizens to lend a helping hand and lessen the traumatic load resting firmly on the shoulders of the city’s disadvantaged.

SST resident and local mechanic, Lunga, sits on the burnt out shell of a vehicle he was working on, surrounded by debris as a result of the devastating Khayelitsha fire. / Photo: Luke Daniel

Here’s how you can help victims of the Khayelitsha fire

Non-profit organisations and good Samaritans have rallied behind the cause, offering assistance to those left homeless and shell-shocked by the recent blaze in Khayelitsha.

The Roeland Street Fire Department serves as a drop-off point for donations which go directly to the victims of the latest blaze. Embattled Khayelitsha residents are in need of bedding, food, toiletries and clothing.

The Khayelitsha Fire Station is also collecting goods that are being actively distributed in the area.

If you’d like to actively assist the residents of SST in rebuilding their homes and lives, lend a hand in the reconstruction process. There are many single women who are unable to rebuild their structures; the disaster site needs all hands on deck.

In the age of social media activism, it’s important to remember that real change comes in the form of practical involvement, more often than not, through blood, sweat and tears. It’s time Capetonians sacrifice their comforts, even if momentarily, in order to understand, empathise and assist those in dire need.