Residents of a Cape Town informal settlement that burnt to the ground on Tuesday claim the fire could have been extinguished sooner if there had been enough water. Cape Town is experiencing its worst drought in more than 100 years.
About 300 people were left homeless after the blaze tore through 150 shacks in Valhalla Park.
Although city officials denied the allegations‚ Delmaine Cottee‚ the ANC councillor in the area‚ said people had maintained that fire trucks were “half empty”. “People are very angry‚” said Cottee. “They said there was not sufficient water.”
Cottee also said neighbours could not use their hose pipes to douse flames while waiting for firefighters because water pressure had been reduced — and fire hydrants close to the area had been vandalised and could not be used.
However, Theo Layne‚ Cape Town fire and rescue services spokesperson‚ said eight fire engines and five full water tankers — which equates to more than 50,000 litres — were sent to Valhalla Park.
“Water pressure reduction is essential at this stage of the drought we are experiencing and it means the fire service has to request and respond with more vehicles than is required to extinguish fire,” Layne said, adding that the fire was possibly started due to negligence‚ such as someone leaving a “cooking device” unattended. The flames were also fanned by strong winds.
Layne called on residents to report vandalism of fire hydrants, and Cottee said crime and gangsterism is rife in the area and metal theft is a big concern.
“People steal cables and will start a fire to melt down the plastic to get to the copper. They then sell it at illegal pawn shops. They even sell drain covers and gates‚” Cottee said, expressing concern that the area could not be cleared by authorities on Tuesday.
He said people collect the metal‚ which is used to construct their shacks‚ then sell it on to scrap-metal dealers. The money is often used to buy food or to replace essential items lost in the fire. Ultimately‚ he said‚ people need proper housing, but this is not easy to achieve.
Earlier this year‚ Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille revealed that the construction of homes in the area was stopped because gangsters threatened the builders.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.