After devastating fire, Dakota residents demand better housing and services from eThekwini Municipality



Women from the Dakota Informal Settlement voiced their concerns to eThekwini Municipality Deputy Mayor Zandile Myeni regarding decent housing, inadequate rebuilding materials and a lack of essential services such as electricity and sanitation. 

Myeni was in the area to install smoke and fire detectors. 

Earlier this month, a fire displaced over 400 residents and destroyed more than 200 homes at the Dakota Informal Settlement in Isipingo.

Resident Mo Chiliza said she asked Myeni if she could please follow up with the human settlements unit after former eThekwini Municipality mayor Mxolisi Kaunda gave them three months to check which areas are suitable for building houses. 

“We asked her (Myeni) to please do a follow-up where those areas are and if they have been found,” Chiliza said. 

She added that in summer, when it rains, it will lead to flooding. 

“With summer approaching, we’re afraid. We’re asking them to please find us houses. We also don’t like living here. People have died in fires. Three families have died in fires,” Chiliza said. “We’re pleading for our cries to be heard.”

Regarding materials, Chiliza said: “The materials arrived, we were happy even though it was insufficient. There were 16 pieces of corrugated iron which were for the roof. They didn’t get to the walls. However, we are grateful because they were handouts but it wasn’t like before because there’s usually plenty. There were also 21 pieces of material that should’ve returned but it never did, therefore some people did not get material.”

Another resident, Corina Khuto, said they had sanitation problems (toilets), which are far from residents living on the hill. These residents have to walk to Ernest Clokie Road to use the temporarily installed toilets. 

“We do have toilets, but they aren’t appropriate for people to use,” Khuto said. “So we’re asking her so she can assist in fixing those toilets so people won’t have to walk from the hill to the street. Some people are being mugged while going to the toilet in the morning.”

Busiswa Khundla said they have an electricity problem. They had electricity installed in their informal structures. 

“Following a fire in 2023, residents registered for electricity installation. No electricity has been installed yet. That’s why there are so many fires. There are illegal electricity connections,” Khundla said, asking the mayor to do a follow-up.

Earlier this month, a fire at the Dakota Informal Settlement in Isipingo destroyed over 200 homes and displaced more than 400 residents.

Myeni said some of the issues she was alerted to were that not all residents had electricity installed, and in terms of material, some had not received material following the recent fire. 

She said their concerns were true, but they agreed to have a meeting soon where she and the ward councillor, Dharmanand Nowbuth, would be present.

“I think the most urgent follow-up that we will do from today (Tuesday) is electricity. So the department of electricity comes to the area, looks at these structures and sees what kind of material is needed, so they can start the work,” Myeni said. 

“Regarding materials, since the materials come from the National Department of Human Settlements, we will do a follow-up. However, we will start with our human settlements department, which has the list, to verify the information. Even if residents don’t receive materials tomorrow, but get feedback about it.”

Myeni apologised to the community that it took the municipality being in the area for another programme for them to get information about their grievances. 

“We promise it’s an issue we will deal with because it’s something we should be able to sort out. When we say ‘nothing else but service delivery in eThekwini’, once we hear about something, there needs to be action,” Myeni said. 

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za



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