25 May 2026
The African National Congress (ANC) Study Group on Human Settlements extends its deepest, most heartfelt empathy and unwavering solidarity to the families and residents within the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality whose lives have been upended by the recent, devastating informal settlement fires.
To watch one’s home, hard-earned belongings, and sense of security vanish into ash within a matter of minutes is a profound tragedy. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the affected communities during this incredibly dark hour. Your pain is our pain, and we are fully committed to ensuring you are not left to pick up the pieces alone.
The frequency of these catastrophic fires highlights a deeply entrenched spatial and structural crisis. Therefore, the ANC Study Group makes an urgent and vehement call to the National and Provincial Departments of Human Settlements (DHS) to act with maximum agility, speed, and bureaucratic flexibility.
Emergency relief cannot be delayed by red tape.
We specifically urge the immediate deployment of Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) to provide swift, dignified shelter to the displaced households. These TRUs must serve as a critical, immediate buffer to protect vulnerable families, particularly children and the elderly, from the harsh elements and restore basic human dignity while long-term solutions are finalized.
Concurrently, a crisis of this magnitude strips residents of more than just physical shelter; it strips them of their legal identity. Many victims have lost vital documents, including Identity Documents (IDs) and birth certificates, effectively locking them out of accessing banking, employment, and essential state social relief.
We urgently appeal to the Department of Home Affairs to deploy mobile units directly to the affected sites in Tshwane. Home Affairs must act swiftly, waiving standard fees and conventional waiting periods, to reissue these critical documents to the fire victims without delay.
While immediate disaster relief is vital, the ANC Study Group emphasizes that emergency measures are only temporary band-aids on a systemic wound. This tragedy reinforces our enduring, non-negotiable commitment to completely eradicating informal settlements across our country.
We refuse to accept a reality where our people live in perpetual fear of fire, floods, and health hazards.
Our overarching vision remains the aggressive replacement of these precarious settlements with permanent, habitable, and decent housing units.These new developments must be deeply integrated into transformed spatial environments—shattering the stubborn legacy of apartheid spatial planning.
We are acutely aware that the R7 billion set aside for informal settlements in the DHS’ 2026/27 Budget, is not enough to stem the tide of these types of disasters and yet, we remain irrevocably committed to Leaving No One Behind as we Fix Local Government and Transform our Economy.
Our goal is to build communities that guarantee absolute habitability, physical security, and comfort. This means creating integrated neighborhoods equipped with proper roads, electricity, clean water, sanitation, and close proximity to economic opportunities and social amenities.
We will continuously hold the Department of Human Settlements accountable to accelerate the formal Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) and permanent housing deliveries. True liberation is incomplete without the restoration of human dignity through safe, secure, and comfortable housing.
The ANC Study Group urges ANC structures in Tshwane, to emulate the indomitable spirit of selflessness and sacrifice of the gallant women of our land who marched on Union Buildings against pass laws in August 1956 and volunteer their services in support of those whose livelihoods have been wrecked by these devastating fires.
Issued by the ANC Study Group on Human Settlements
For enquiries
Contact: Sello Dithebe
ANC Whip on Human Settlements.
Email:sdithebe@parliament.gov.za
Mobile: 083 440 5446