Tshwane has plan to curb informal settlement fires
MMC Madzebatela says his department will intensify the development of social housing in the city.
In a bid to curb the mushrooming of informal settlements in the city, the metro said it was fast-tracking the building of social housing.
MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela acknowledged that dealing with informal settlements was going to be a challenge as the number kept doubling.
“We have different programmes for different regions for addressing informal settlements. We have relocation plans, and we have recently proposed the establishment of a new township in the east or west,” Madzebatela said.
He said the National Department of Human Settlements was assisting the metro with funds to curb the mushrooming settlements.
Madzebatela said members of the public were allowed to see the city plan to establish new townships.
He said it was not surprising that the majority of people in the informal settlements were foreigners, as the metro was the Capital City and the biggest hub of economic activities.
He was however concerned about the growing misconception that social housing projects were for anyone who needed housing.
“We are looking at intensifying the development of social housing but what we are also finding is that once we start building, people get the impression that these are free houses,” added Madzebatela.
On dealing with the fires in informal settlements, the MMC said it was vital that residents exercise extreme caution when handling combustible substances.
Madzebatela said what was common in all the fires in the informal settlements was negligence.
“We decided to embark on an educational awareness together with Tshwane emergency services and also intensify what the EMS was already doing.”
The city has recently seen a spate of fires across local informal settlements that resulted in a loss of life.
On Saturday, three people perished and more than 1 000 were left homeless after a devastating fire ripped through the Cemetery View informal settlement.
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