At 4am on 6 September 14 shacks in the Roodepoort Rugby Club informal settlement burnt to the ground for the second time since May.
Although at this stage the origin of the fire is unknown, general consensus is that once again the close proximity of shacks to each other was the main reason for the disaster. No one was injured but residents lost all their belongings.
Residents also allege that once again Emergency Services vehicles did not carry enough water to put out the fire.
Two hours later Councillor Dave Dewes and representatives of the Department of Housing as well as members of the City’s Disaster Management team were on the scene. The NPO Dorcas Aid also came to the rescue with blankets, clothes and food.
Accessibility was identified as another problem that reoccurs.
According to the parties involved the victims will get B4 forms, which means that they are officially on the housing list now and that sanitation will be provided for their shacks in the meanwhile.
According to Dewes graders will be used to level the rubble on 9 September and shortly afterwards shacks will be built in a safer set-up.
