Fires at informal settlements such as Plastic View and Cemetery View in Pretoria’s east have not only become a recurring emergency with annual incidents, but also highlighted the city’s struggle to relocate the homeless and deport illegal foreigners.
City of Tshwane MMC for community safety Hannes Coetzee said about 150 shacks were damaged and a child died in Sunday morning’s fire at Plastic View.
Plastic View fire leaves child dead
In May 2023, a fire at the informal settlement left 250 people homeless after 45 shacks burnt down.
Cemetery View has also experienced a number of fires over the years, including 800 shacks destroyed in 2024, 300 in August 2023 and 400 in March 2022.
“Assessments are underway to determine the full extent of the damage and the number of families displaced by Sunday’s incident,” Coetzee said.
He added during search and recovery operations, firefighters discovered the body of a child among the debris.
“When the fire started, residents were unable to evacuate everyone safely and the child was reported missing. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown,” Coetzee said.
Tshwane identifies land for relocation
Over the weekend, Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya visited Plastic View and said land has been identified in Pretorius Park to relocate some of the residents.
Foreign nationals would be handed over to home affairs.
The DA’s Tshwane housing and human settlements spokesperson Shaun Wilkinson said the party had a plan for Plastic View.
