The festive season brought devastation to Cape Town as a series of fires in informal settlements displaced more than 1,800 residents in just four days.

According to the City of Cape Town, its Fire & Rescue Service responded to 3,546 emergency incidents during December last year, including 212 informal residential fires. While this marked a decrease from 272 the previous year, there was still a major impact on residents.

The fires affected multiple areas, with the most severe incident occurring in Langa on Boxing Day, where 307 structures were destroyed, leaving 685 people homeless. In the three days before then, major fires displaced hundreds more in Masiphumelele, Nomzamo, and Dunoon.

JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, said the Disaster Risk Management Centre assisted with response efforts for these emergencies.

“During the festive season, the Disaster Risk Management Centre was called upon to coordinate responses to four major informal settlement fire incidents in the space of four days:

• 23 December, 86 structures were destroyed in Masiphumelele, leaving 450 persons displaced
• 24 December, 53 structures were destroyed in Nomzamo, leaving 132 persons displaced
• 25 December, 143 structures were destroyed in Dunoon, leaving 544 persons displaced
• 26 December, 307 structures were destroyed in Langa, leaving 685 persons displaced”

READ MORE: Langa informal settlement fire leaves 450 people displaced (before final count)

The extent of the crisis prompted visits from national government officials, including Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza on Wednesday. They toured Langa and other affected areas this week. Highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions, Simelane announced plans to introduce mobile temporary units to provide immediate relief and reduce congestion in informal settlements.

The extent of the crisis prompted visits from national government officials, including Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza on Wednesday. They toured Langa and other affected areas this week. Highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions, Simelane announced plans to introduce mobile temporary units to provide immediate relief and reduce congestion in informal settlements.

“[We will] move people so that you can create land. You have got to remove those who are under the servitude of Eskom, servitude for the road. If you go inside the settlement, there’s not even a space for a car to move. Even [in] day-to-day normal living, a municipality can’t go in there to pick up refuse. That’s how bad the situation is. They are in squalor, in conditions which are not even habitable for any human being to stay in.”

Simelane also noted the availability of land parcels under government and municipal ownership as part of long-term strategies to provide permanent housing. However, she cautioned that this process would take time.

“It wouldn’t be automatic. It wouldn’t be an easy process, but we have got to start and move people. They should be able to build, but they are unable to because of the congestion.”