Cape Town: President Cyril Ramaphosa prioritised fire affected residents and developed emergency funding for the City of Cape Town. Member of the Mayoral Committee for Human Settlements – Councillor Carl Pophaim also released an official statement on the same.
Reportedly, Human Settlements team of City of Cape Town along with Disaster Risk Management and all frontline staff worked on the ground to assist residents in informal settlements where fires tore through informal structures in recent days.
Councillor Carl Pophaim stated that he is appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the National Minister of Human Settlements – Thembisile Simelane, to devolve the Emergency Housing Grant to the City of Cape Town so that they are able to manage and respond the issues that are affecting emergency housing requirements as quickly as possible, typically withing 24 hours.
“I am appealing to President Ramaphosa and Minister Simelane to urgently devolve the Emergency Housing Grant to the City of Cape Town so that we can assist the fire-affected residents in Dunoon, Nomzamo in the Strand, Masiphumelele and Langa as quickly as possible,” said Pophaim.
Moreover, these assessments indicated the following numbers of destroyed structures considering 130 in Masiphumelele, 64 in Nomzamo, 120 in Dunoon and 150 as early assessments in Langa.
Notably, the early indications show that approximately 150 homes were destroyed in Langa on Dec 26, 2024. Final assessments are being completed soon so that the exact numbers are determined.
The City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements Directorate has provided the National Human Settlements Department with the data of those that affects residents. As far for their urgent assistance, the team is appealing to the National Department to act swiftly so that the affected ones are assisted too.
According to Pophaim, the teams will remain on the various affected sites across the city to assist the impacted residents where it is feasible to do so. The officials will continue to closely monitor the situation.
The City of Cape Town thanked the Gift of the Givers and all other relief agencies for assisting and providing soft relief to the affected residents and the team members will continue to actively work with all relief teams.