City completes rehousing of Valhalla Park fire victims
All residents of Agstelaan informal settlement have been rehoused despite the unrest in the area. This is thanks to outstanding efforts of City staff and forms part of our commitment to being a caring city. Read more below:
The City of Cape Town has completed the rehousing of the victims of the fire that took place at the Agstelaan informal settlement in Valhalla Park.
The process included: registering the victims of the fire and comparing this with the City's database; cleaning the debris; levelling the area; pegging out plots; and issuing building kits.
In total, 276 primary beneficiaries and 13 backyard dwellers or boarders in the informal settlement were catered for, as well as a further five backyard dwellers in the formal area. The formal houses that were affected are being dealt with by the insurance companies.
The primary beneficiaries have all been accommodated according to a formal layout that will ultimately house all 600 families in the informal settlement. This layout was developed according to the City's Upgrading of Informal Settlement Programme (UISP).
This programme will result in each family having access to municipal services such as piped water, flush toilets, prepaid electricity and wheelie bin services. Construction is intended to begin in October 2014.
In the short-term, people have been placed on their allocated site and have been provided with an Enhance Fire Kit (which they have used to build their structures), temporary water standpipes, and chemical toilets. In excess of 200 portable flush toilets have also been ordered for families who have expressed interest.
The Electricity Services Department will be re-installing electricity infrastructure shortly.
In the meantime, the City is attempting to fast-track the legislative and tender processes for the UISP. The other families in the informal settlements who have not been affected by the fire will also be relocated to their improved housing sites. Community engagement with regard to the programme will begin soon.
Building kits can only be offered to those claimants: who are registered on the City's database of residents of the area; who registered themselves as fire victims on the day; or who appear on the SASSA database.
Statement issued by Councillor Tandeka Gqada. Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, City of Cape Town, January 8 2014
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