Parliament, Wednesday, 16 April 2025 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Mr Nocks Seabi, has observed with sadness the devastating fire in Silahliwe Informal Settlement in Strand on Tuesday, which left over 500 people without shelter.
The Chairperson underscored that perennial fires and property damage highlight the urgent need to eradicate and formalise all informal settlements and restore dignity to the people. "The speedy formalisation of informal settlements, decanting and development of social housing is the only solution to year-in-year-out devastating fire incidents," Mr Seabi said.
While the Chairperson acknowledged that the Department of Human Settlements is dealing with a moving target, exacerbated by in-migration to cities in search of job opportunities, the current trend of municipalities returning grant funding to National Treasury that was meant for infrastructure development was uncalled for and to a certain degree remains a causal factor to delayed developments leading to fires. "Underperformance in the delivery of projects leaves many people in unsuitable living areas for a long time. This must be urgently corrected," he said.
While the Chairperson welcomed the swift response by non-governmental organisations to offer urgent assistance, the Chairperson called on the Department of Human Settlements at the national and provincial levels to work with the City of Cape Town to unlock the Emergency Housing Fund and provide support and needed assistance to the affected community.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, MR NOCKS SEABI.
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