The residents of Phumlani Village have once again been left to pick up the pieces after a fire ripped through their community on Tuesday, destroying more than one hundred informal homes. The blaze struck barely a month after families had begun rebuilding from a previous inferno, compounding the hardship experienced across the settlement. For many, the cycle of recovery has felt relentless, with each disaster stretching already fragile resources and deepening frustration over long-standing housing challenges.
Families Face Another Round Of Loss And Displacement
City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Sonica Lategan confirmed that officials were deployed to assess the damage across D-Section, Riemvasmaak Informal Settlement and Eagle Park. Their findings painted a painful picture of the scale of destruction.
“The assessment concluded that 106 structures were destroyed, and 141 persons displaced – most of them single adults,”
she reported. Lategan added that essential services were also affected, noting that
“In terms of infrastructure, 11 toilets and taps were damaged, along with electrical cables.”
She said the Disaster Risk Management Centre would coordinate with the South African Social Security Agency to ensure that support continues beyond the immediate aftermath.
“The Disaster Risk Management Centre will activate Sassa to provide relief beyond the immediate aftermath,”
Lategan confirmed.
Humanitarian Teams Move Quickly As Recovery Begins
Gift of the Givers volunteers arrived on site on Tuesday evening to assist residents who lost everything for a second time in weeks. The City requested additional municipal departments to join the effort, calling in Solid Waste to help remove debris, alongside Energy and Water and Sanitation teams to repair damaged infrastructure.
Community workers have also stepped up. On Monday, ahead of the second fire, local volunteer Beryl Williams visited the area with donated clothing and food, supported by Pick n Pay Constantia. After the blaze, many of those donations were lost, and the need only intensified.
Residents Say Humanitarian Aid Helps, But Rebuilding Support Is Missing
Retired Captain Keith Blake, who regularly provides the community with second-hand building materials, said the realities of shack life in Cape Town leave families trapped after every disaster.
“When fires break out at shacks innie Kaap the homeless do not have insurance for houses to be repaired,”
he told the Daily Voice. While acknowledging the presence of many charitable groups, he expressed frustration that long-term rebuilding often remains unfunded.
“All kinds of organisations get involved with humanitarian relief, but no one restores the homes.”
Starter kits, once used by residents to begin reconstruction after fires, have not been available since national funding for the programme was halted in December 2020 due to budget constraints.
City Says Emergency Housing Kits Are Being Pursued
Despite these challenges, Lategan said municipal teams were already engaging higher authorities regarding replacement kits.
“The City’s Informal Settlements Management Branch was on site to register affected persons – they will approach the National Department of Human Settlements to assist with emergency housing kits.”
For families who have endured repeated losses, the hope is that any assistance arrives swiftly enough to give them a stable place to live before winter deepens.
Community Voices Express Deep Fatigue And Uncertainty
Among those grappling with the emotional impact is community representative Faizel Smith, who has lost his home four times because of fires. He described the ongoing trauma felt by children and families trying to cope, especially during exam season.
“Kids are going hungry to school and they are writing exams with this devastation on their minds. I feel their pain.”
Smith said support from government officials has been absent for far too long.
“What’s more heartbreaking is that we never got any assistance from our government, the mayor and our councillor. How long should we suffer?”
He added that many residents feel disillusioned by unmet political promises.
“Where are the houses we get promised each time it comes to voting and when voting is finished the promises are forgotten. They don’t feel our pain.”
The community now faces the difficult task of rebuilding yet again, relying on a combination of humanitarian responders, municipal assistance and their own resilience. Many remain hopeful that sustained support will follow, especially for those who have lost everything more than once in the same year.
