City teams were on the ground in Dunoon’s Site 5 informal settlement on Saturday morning as relief efforts continued following a fire that left hundreds of households affected.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, joined by Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Councillor Carl Pophaim, visited the area to assess the situation firsthand and engage with residents as emergency assistance was rolled out.
The fire broke out on Friday, 9 January, and was brought under control later that evening after a challenging response effort.
Updates issued by the City administration indicate that firefighters battled the blaze under difficult conditions, with strong winds complicating containment efforts. Aerial water-bombing using two helicopters was deployed to assist ground crews.
‘This was a terrible fire, which our firefighters bravely fought to get under control in difficult, windy conditions which also required aerial water-bombing using two helicopters. Eventually the fire was extinguished around 7pm last night,’ Mayor Hill-Lewis said.
In the hours since the fire was extinguished, multiple City departments have been working to provide immediate relief. Municipal teams are assisting with safety support, clearing debris, coordinating interim aid with non-profit organisations, and recording residents’ details to enable access to emergency assistance.
Briefings shared by the City note that frontline staff from Human Settlements, Disaster Risk Management, Fire and Rescue Services and Basic Services have been deployed to support affected households, as well as the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, providing assistance.
‘Our frontline staff are on the ground providing various forms of immediate support, including safety assistance, debris clearing, coordinating interim relief with NPOs, and capturing personal details for emergency support,’ the mayor said.
He also acknowledged the efforts of municipal workers who have been operating on extended shifts.
‘We are grateful for the care shown in this difficult time by all our staff who have spent long hours reaching out to each and every one of those affected,’ Hill-Lewis added.
Attention has now turned to longer-term recovery, particularly the need for reconstruction materials. Councillor Pophaim called on national authorities to accelerate the release of emergency resources.
‘The City urges the National Department of Human Settlements to act with urgency in releasing reconstruction kits to affected residents as quickly as possible,’ he said.
‘We have consistently argued that rapid response is critical in fire and flood disasters, particularly in high density informal settlements.’
Councillor Pophaim also reiterated the City’s position on disaster response authority and funding.
‘The City continues to advocate for the human settlements disaster mandate and funding to be devolved so that we can cut out the national middle man and again provide direct relief, as was the case until a few years ago,’ he said.
As relief operations continue, City officials say support teams will remain active in the area while affected residents begin the process of recovery.
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