A fire broke out near a cemetery in Maitland, Cape Town, on Thursday, destroying the makeshift homes of at least 248 asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, including women and children.
Ward councillor Cheslyn Steenberg confirmed that emergency services responded quickly, but the blaze swept through the entire settlement, leaving the occupants homeless. Said Steenberg:
“Even though we as a community advocated for the removal of the tent, many of us, having a bit of humanity in our hearts, did not wish for this to happen to the people occupying that particular tent and calling it home for a very, very long time.”
Ward councillor Cheslyn Steenberg said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, with reports suggesting it could have been either a cooking accident or a possible act of arson.
The site, home to asylum seekers and undocumented migrants who have been caught up in ongoing eviction and deportation disputes with the City of Cape Town and national authorities, had recently been targeted by a High Court order allowing eviction notices to be served.
Steenberg called the situation “peculiar,” saying the fire now gives authorities “a fertile opportunity to deport the occupants.” Said Steenberg:
“The challenge we are now sitting with is the alternative accommodation, but Home Affairs will be coming in this morning to assist and see how they can assist with that as well.
“But I think in terms of the eviction application itself, that should be ongoing just in case a rebuilding takes place, and reoccupation then takes place and then recreates a bigger problem.
“I think we should allow Home Affairs to come in and engage us on the matter and take it from that point forward.”
He added that the City’s Disaster Risk Management unit, together with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers, provided food, water, and temporary relief overnight.
More: EWN
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