Shelter to be provided for families affected by Joburg CBD fire
‘We are not going to deal with people on the basis of nationality. At this point, everyone who is affected will be given humanitarian assistance’
31 August 2023 - 14:34
byRorisang Kgosana
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Emergency services preparing to remove some of the deceased who died in the fire in the Johannesburg CBD on August 31 2023. At 1pm, the body count stood at 73. Picture: Ziphozonke Lushaba
More than 300 families displaced by a building fire that killed at least 73 people on Thursday will be allocated accommodation and assistance by the provincial and municipal governments.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at the five-storey building on the corner of Alberts and Delvers streets in Marshalltown, at about 1.30am.
“[By] the time the emergency department responded, two floors were affected but gradually the fire accelerated to the third floor,” Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda told the media while speaking at the scene with Gauteng human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile.
“We have more than 300 families that have been displaced and others in hospital. We will be going there to assess the extent of their injuries and evaluate how we can augment the kind of services they are getting and the facilities in which they are being held.”
Maile said the city-owned building was “hijacked” after it was leased to a nonprofit organisation meant to assist displaced women.
“It is unfortunate that we have to keep responding to situations of this nature, where a building is leased for the purpose of rehabilitating society. … It was an NGO that dealt specifically with displaced women.”
The NGO had been shut down due to safety reasons and law-enforcement operations were initiated, he said.
“A while back, it was raided by the city with SAPS and home affairs, with arrests made. It was also found that there were people who were collecting rent and therefore SAPS was delegated to deal with the matter.”
The municipality and provincial government will provide relief to the affected victims, Maile said.
“There will be social relief. We have already identified three buildings that the surviving victims will be allocated to. We have agreed that we are not going to deal with people on the basis of nationality. At this point, everyone who is affected will be given humanitarian assistance.
“This is a tragedy that affects people, irrespective of nationality.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Shelter to be provided for families affected by Joburg CBD fire
‘We are not going to deal with people on the basis of nationality. At this point, everyone who is affected will be given humanitarian assistance’
More than 300 families displaced by a building fire that killed at least 73 people on Thursday will be allocated accommodation and assistance by the provincial and municipal governments.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at the five-storey building on the corner of Alberts and Delvers streets in Marshalltown, at about 1.30am.
“[By] the time the emergency department responded, two floors were affected but gradually the fire accelerated to the third floor,” Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda told the media while speaking at the scene with Gauteng human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile.
“We have more than 300 families that have been displaced and others in hospital. We will be going there to assess the extent of their injuries and evaluate how we can augment the kind of services they are getting and the facilities in which they are being held.”
Maile said the city-owned building was “hijacked” after it was leased to a nonprofit organisation meant to assist displaced women.
“It is unfortunate that we have to keep responding to situations of this nature, where a building is leased for the purpose of rehabilitating society. … It was an NGO that dealt specifically with displaced women.”
The NGO had been shut down due to safety reasons and law-enforcement operations were initiated, he said.
“A while back, it was raided by the city with SAPS and home affairs, with arrests made. It was also found that there were people who were collecting rent and therefore SAPS was delegated to deal with the matter.”
The municipality and provincial government will provide relief to the affected victims, Maile said.
“There will be social relief. We have already identified three buildings that the surviving victims will be allocated to. We have agreed that we are not going to deal with people on the basis of nationality. At this point, everyone who is affected will be given humanitarian assistance.
“This is a tragedy that affects people, irrespective of nationality.”
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