Fire destroys 208 shacks at Masinenge as KZN presses on with 882-house project
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More than 208 shacks were destroyed in a fire at Masinenge informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, where the province is building 882 permanent houses and has already moved 586 residents into new homes.
A fire destroyed more than 208 shacks at Masinenge Informal Settlement in KwaZulu-Natal in the early hours of Saturday, prompting the provincial human settlements department to mobilise assistance and warn communities about dry, windy conditions.
Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesperson for the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, said the department had engaged Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality mayor Zodwa Mzindle following the blaze. He warned that persisting dry, windy conditions accompanied by heatwaves could cause fires to spread rapidly, leaving communities devastated.
A team led by provincial department head Max Mbili is working with officials from the national department to deliver building materials to affected residents. Sibiya said the province had also stressed the need to accelerate the profiling of victims so that legitimate residents who lost their homes are prioritised for assistance.
The settlement has experienced repeated devastating fires. As a temporary measure, building materials were provided to residents while construction continued on more than 882 permanent houses under the Masinenge Slums Clearance Housing Project, and more than 586 residents have already been moved into newly built double-storey homes.
Weeks ago the department handed over house keys and more than 399 title deeds to residents, alongside Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Tandi Mahambehlala. The department cautioned residents against renting out their newly allocated homes and returning to the informal settlement, which it said remains vulnerable to fires and flooding.