DA Councillor for Ward 70, Dave Dewes, has come out guns blazing against the powers that be after 40 shacks were destroyed in the fire at Roodepoort Rugby Club (RRC) informal settlement on 12 October.
“The fourth fire in as many months has occurred at the RRC informal settlement, which brings it to a total of 65 shacks destroyed by fire and many times that number of people displaced.
“It is an absolute humanitarian injustice that, in this so-called democratic dispensation, the poorest of the poor cannot get proper assistance in their moment of dire need,” fumes Dewes.
“The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has a Disaster Management Department, Emergency Services Department, Social Services Department, Housing Department, and by-law enforcement department (JMPD) but there seems to be no interdepartmental communication. We continue, month in and month out, to crisis-manage without any coordinated long-term planning,” Dewes lashes out.
Dewes explains the “simple solution” to the problem:
• Short-term planning — Organise the rebuilding of the shacks, not “on top of one another” but with access for emergency vehicles
•Promote the building of new structures with more natural materials such as mud and straw as communities did centuries ago
• Social Services and by-law enforcement — Address the issue of alcohol abuse owing to the proliferation of illegal shebeens. Social services should look at providing services to encourage other activities such as sport, gardening and bead-making
•Medium-term planning — CoJ should sell the land, already zoned for factories, at a healthy profit. This would provide funding for formal housing for squatters plus create desperately needed jobs. This would grow the CoJ rateable income
