Trade and industry minister Rob Davies says a stronger clampdown is required on the sale of unsafe paraffin stoves.
This after a fire in the informal settlement at Masiphumelele, near Kommetjie, razed 150 shacks early on the Day of Goodwill and left more than 300 people homeless.
And although its cause remained unclear, Davis said unsafe paraffin stoves, which had been outlawed, had caused similar fires before.
He was in the area on Tuesday for the second time in two weeks to hand over food parcels and blankets to those affected, many unemployed.
“Paraffin stoves that fall over are banned. If you know of anyone selling these stoves you should report them,” Davis told the community.
He said he came back to express solidarity and to provide modest relief to those who had been worst affected.
“We want to transform the conditions in which people live. There’s a lot that needs to happen to change the reality in which fires occur,” said Davis.
But he also urged the communities to be more responsible and prevent fires.
Davis said: “While we have informal settlements, we must pay attention to make sure that we try to prevent fires.”
The managing director of the Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa (Pasasa), Patrick Kulani, said many dealers were still selling the unsafe stoves.
“Yes, we’ve encountered them. They are coming into the country illegally and we’ve been working with the Port Authority to stem their flow,” said Kulani.
He said reasons many shack-dwellers still used the dangerous stoves was because of their price and their ease of use. “These illegal stoves cost about R50 as opposed to R150 for the safe stoves. The safer stoves also require the user to read instructions, and in some cases they are sold without instructions,” said Kulani.
One of the fire victims, Nosisi Guza, 53, expressed gratitude for the food parcel, saying that it would go a long way in helping her family.
Guza’s family of four survive on the child grant she receives for her 14-year-old daughter and from her job as a char.
“We only managed to salvage a small suitcase with clothes. Other than that we have nothing,” said Guza.
- Cape Times
This after a fire in the informal settlement at Masiphumelele, near Kommetjie, razed 150 shacks early on the Day of Goodwill and left more than 300 people homeless.
And although its cause remained unclear, Davis said unsafe paraffin stoves, which had been outlawed, had caused similar fires before.
He was in the area on Tuesday for the second time in two weeks to hand over food parcels and blankets to those affected, many unemployed.
“Paraffin stoves that fall over are banned. If you know of anyone selling these stoves you should report them,” Davis told the community.
He said he came back to express solidarity and to provide modest relief to those who had been worst affected.
“We want to transform the conditions in which people live. There’s a lot that needs to happen to change the reality in which fires occur,” said Davis.
But he also urged the communities to be more responsible and prevent fires.
Davis said: “While we have informal settlements, we must pay attention to make sure that we try to prevent fires.”
The managing director of the Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa (Pasasa), Patrick Kulani, said many dealers were still selling the unsafe stoves.
“Yes, we’ve encountered them. They are coming into the country illegally and we’ve been working with the Port Authority to stem their flow,” said Kulani.
He said reasons many shack-dwellers still used the dangerous stoves was because of their price and their ease of use. “These illegal stoves cost about R50 as opposed to R150 for the safe stoves. The safer stoves also require the user to read instructions, and in some cases they are sold without instructions,” said Kulani.
One of the fire victims, Nosisi Guza, 53, expressed gratitude for the food parcel, saying that it would go a long way in helping her family.
Guza’s family of four survive on the child grant she receives for her 14-year-old daughter and from her job as a char.
“We only managed to salvage a small suitcase with clothes. Other than that we have nothing,” said Guza.
- Cape Times
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