By Phenyo Selinda
The KwaZulu-Natal government is fast-tracking relief efforts in the Kenville informal settlement area following a devastating fire that destroyed homes and displaced over 400 families. The blaze, which occurred over the weekend, razed more than 200 informal units in Sea Cow Lake, Durban, leaving 431 families homeless and resulting in the tragic death of a pregnant woman.
KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, and eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Cyril Xaba, have visited Kenville and committed to implementing immediate relief measures while also developing a long-term plan to assist the displaced families.
After consulting with Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, the provincial Human Settlements Department and eThekwini Municipality announced that building materials would be delivered by Wednesday and Thursday to rebuild 237 informal dwellings destroyed by the fire. Duma also mentioned that building materials would be arranged for over 200 families affected previously, whose profiling took too long to complete.
Immediate Relief Measures
The eThekwini Municipality, in collaboration with the NGO Gift of the Givers, has arranged for blankets, mattresses, and food for the affected families. The Office of the Mayor is assisting the families of the deceased with funeral arrangements. Duma emphasised the coordinated effort across multiple government departments to support the affected families.
“The Department of Education is ensuring that learning for some of the 89 children is not interrupted, while the Department of Health is ensuring access to quality healthcare through a mobile clinic. The Department of Social Development is providing relief vouchers and counselling to the families, and Home Affairs is assisting with the issuing of temporary IDs and other enabling documents,” Duma said.
Long-Term Plans
The long-term plan involves relocating all affected families to suitable land where the government and city will build decent houses. Duma stressed the importance of finding vacant land to ensure the safety and stability of new homes, particularly given the challenges posed by extreme weather patterns and climate change.
“Some of the informal settlements that have been razed down by fire are inaccessible and have been built on unsuitable land without proper planning. Homes in poor terrains can be easily washed away during heavy rains, and this applies to those who reside near rivers and waterways. Our main goal is to save innocent lives,” Duma explained.
Municipal Support and Future Actions
Mayor Xaba assured that the municipality, in collaboration with all spheres of government, would provide the necessary relief to bring the lives of affected families back to normalcy. The Mayor highlighted that fire victims have already been relocated to temporary shelters and provided with food hampers. Social workers and healthcare workers are on-site to offer psychosocial and healthcare services to the victims.
“The Department of Human Settlements has also profiled all affected households with the intention of providing them with building material,” Xaba said.
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