Shack dwellers ‘need education’ on smoke alarms: MEC
KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi says additional education is needed on the province's smoke alarm rollout programme.
He believes raising awareness will go a long way in preventing disasters at informal settlements.
" We have put significant resources into this informal settlement through the smoke fire alarms, so that whenever a smoke is triggered, the fire alarm goes off to warn the residents to evacuate to safety."
A mother and her 18-month-old baby died in a fire at the Kennedy Road Informal Settlement over the weekend.
At least 100 shacks were gutted, and 186 people were left homeless.
It's the second fire in the area in two months.
During a visit to the settlement on Monday, Buthelezi told reporters that they've met with the shack dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo to discuss ways to prevent future disasters.
" The state in which these people are [living] is really not suitable and is not safe. Therefore, long-term solutions would need the eThekwini Municipality to come on board so that we find suitable land and construct suitable housing for these families."
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