105 homeless in shack fire in QQ Section, Khayelitsha

While Abahlali were celebrating the joy and excitement of 40 students and their friends and families at the second University of Abahlali baseMjondolo graduation the sms came through from Cape Town…’QQ Section Under Fire’.

Just before that SMS came through Fazel Khan had reminded us that a year or so ago at the first mass meeting to discuss a research agenda for the University one of the most often nominated research themes was shack fires. Why must some people burn and others not? What does the government not consider the fires to be a crisis? What can be done to stop the fires? What is the politics and economics and philosophy of the plague of fires?

If the state does not consider that it has the resources to house the people and persuading it and its partners that its expenditure entails a lot more choice than the language of compulsion (market discipline, appeasing rich tax payers etc) admits is proving difficult then surely the very least it can do is to take urgent emergency action right now and commit to immediately provide electricity to replace candles, non-flammable building material, access roads for fire engines, steps and concrete paths and lights so that people don’t have to try and flee fires by stumbling up muddy slopes….all that could be covered by scrapping one World Cup stadium or a fraction of the arms deal or by adding a tiny shack settlement development tax on the property boom that’s allowed so many rich people to double their wealth in a few years. Libraries would be nice. Creches would be nice. Houses would be nice. But surely, surely, the plague of fires can at least be stopped.

Saturday 8th December 2007
5pm

For comment call Mzonke Poni of the QQ Concerned Residents Forum and Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign on 073 2562036

At about 4pm today, a fire broke out in QQ Section, which is part of Khayelitsha. Within two hours, more than 20 shacks had burnt to the ground leaving 105 people homeless. The QQ Section Concerned Residents Forum is trying to follow up reports that one person burnt to death.

People first moved to QQ section in 1989, under the apartheid government. They cleared the bush and established themselves in shacks under the ESKOM electricity grid. They voted enthusiastically for the ANC government in 1994, hoping it would change their lives as the Freedom Charter promises. But 13 years later, the new government has left people to suffer the indignity of having no decent homes, insufficient taps, and no toilets.

It is for this reason that the residents are unable to put out fires when they start. The residents are demanding decent services and houses now. Do they really have to live without toilets and taps for 20 years before something is done?

…/ends