Human Rights activist, Andy Chinnah says the conditions under which the residents of Denver shack settlement in the south of Johannesburg, are living under are inhabitable. Chinnah visited the area to assess the needs of the community after the settlement was flooded following Friday’s heavy rains across Gauteng.
The tin shacks were erected on an open ground meant to house impounded vehicles in the south of Johannesburg. They were erected by the City of Joburg as a temporary housing solution for the victims of the Marshalltown building fire last year in which more than 70 people were killed.
Humanitarian group Gift of the Givers and the South African Red Cross Society are on site to provide some assistance.
Chinnah elaborates: “Yesterday, everything was under water, This morning what we realised is that the water is drained out. Human Settlements was here last night with the Jhb Roads agency and they dug some holes to get rid of the water. People have lost everything in their shacks. Ashraful Aid is donating 250 cooked meals and then the GOTG is supplying 200 mattresses and car packs.”
Denver shack settlement community leader, Seethawaka Zungu says they are scared each time it rains that their homes may collapse.
Many of the shacks are flooded rendering families homeless. Zungu says the area is not conducive for human habitation.
“The water is coming into our shacks. All these shacks they are sinking. They damage the food and clothes. We don’t know when the water comes again, what we going to do. This is not the right place for these shacks, there is no drainage. Everything is closed here.”
JHB fire victims in Denver lose their belongings following floods:
