Fire destroys shacks in Imizamo Yethu as residents press Cape Town on housing
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A blaze swept through informal dwellings in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, early on Sunday, prompting renewed calls for the City of Cape Town to deliver its delayed Imizamo Yethu Phase 3 housing project.
Firefighters spent nearly three hours bringing a blaze under control after it swept through a large area of informal dwellings in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, in the early hours of Sunday, 11 October 2026.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Mark Bosch said crews were called to Mandela Park in Imizamo Yethu West at 3.45am and the fire was contained at 6.43am. Fire engines from Hout Bay, Constantia, Wynberg, Lakeside, Roeland, Salt River and Sea Point were dispatched, while water tankers from Gugulethu, Kraaifontein, Mitchell's Plain and Epping and an incident management team were deployed because of the size of the fire and the hazards involved.
No injuries were reported, but Bosch said the cause of the fire was unknown and that the number of dwellings and residents affected would be confirmed once crews had assessed the full extent of the damage. Damping down operations were expected to take considerable time because of the heavy fuel load in the area.
Community activist Roscoe Jacobs called for urgent assistance for affected residents, saying the fire had again raised concerns about the need for housing in Imizamo Yethu. He urged the DA-led City of Cape Town to move the Imizamo Yethu Phase 3 project from plans and infrastructure works to the actual delivery of homes.
Jacobs said Gift of the Givers, the Imizamo Yethu Development Forum and Thula Thula were assisting residents, while the City's Disaster Risk Management team was also at the scene. He called on the national Department of Human Settlements, SASSA and Home Affairs to provide assistance to those affected.