Thembi Simelane, Minister of Human Settlements, has sent her deepest condolences to the family that lost six family members due to a fire that destroyed their structure at the Marikana informal settlement in Boksburg, City of Ekurhuleni. The Department of Human Settlements has been inundated with several disasters over the past few weeks, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. “The unfortunate incidents in our informal settlements are a clear sign that we should accelerate and invest in the upgrading of informal settlements and commit to finishing all the stalled projects around the country. This will enable qualifying beneficiaries to have access to decent shelter, prevent loss of life and improve the quality of household life”, said Minister Simelane. The DHS plans to upgrade just over 4000 informal settlements during the 2024-2029 Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP). Moreover, early this year, Minister Simelane revealed that the department would prioritise finishing 271 BNG blocked projects and 9 distressed social housing projects. Minister Simelane underscored the importance of collaboration among all affected stakeholders in dealing with informal settlements around the country. The affected stakeholders include the government, private sector, NGOs and the community at large. Simelane has tasked the Emergency Housing Unit, a team responsible for disasters within the Department of Human Settlements, to work with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and the City of Ekurhuleni to assist the affected household. Early this morning, the fire destroyed several structures at the Marikana informal settlement, regrettable, leaving six people dead.

Enquiries: Tsekiso Machike, Spokesperson to the Minister on 077 410 5050 Tsekiso.machike@dhs.gov.za

Issued by the Ministry of Human Settlements, Govan Mbeki House 240, Justice Mahomed Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria