President Ramaphosa says deadly Johannesburg fire a 'wake-up call'

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Thursday (August 31), said that the deadly fire incident that took place in the inner city of Johannesburg was "a wake-up call" for the country.

In the massive blaze that engulfed a five-storey building, seventy-four people were killed, which included 12 children. The building was occupied by homeless people. More than 50 others were injured in the inferno.

The city of Johannesburg had earlier confirmed that it owned the building, however, it had claimed that it was taken over by cartels. Officials stated that the cause of the deadly breakout remains unknown.

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In a press conference at the site of the mishap, Ramaphosa said that the incident needs to be investigated and lessons have to be learnt so that such tragedies can be prevented in future.

"It's a wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner city," the South African leader said. The building was once home to abused children and women, however after its lease expired, it was "hijacked", explained President Ramaphosa to reporters.

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Buildings 'unfit' to live in

Many buildings in the area, including the one which caught fire, were deemed unfit to live in. However, these old blocks, which were abandoned by the city authorities or their owners, are full of families who generally pay rent to the criminal gangs that are running them.

Some of those people who have been using the buildings were undocumented migrants, most of them belonging to other African countries. The buildings, whichlack legal electricity connections, running water and toilets, are said to be "hijacked".

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South Africa has been dealing with a chronic housing shortage where an estimated 15,000 people have been estimated to be homeless in Johannesburg. "We need to get on top of this and find effective ways of dealing with problems of accommodation, housing, and services in the inner city," Ramaphosa stated.

He also appreciated the emergency services for arriving at the scene 10 minutes after they received a report of the fire. Johannesburg city manager Floyd Brink stated that 200 families have been affected by the fire and "all efforts" were made to provide them accommodation.

Spokesperson for the emergency services Robert Mulaudzi, speaking to the BBC, said that the building was gutted by fire, however, firefighters were able to bring out some of the occupants.

He added that because the building was not looked after properly, debris and makeshift structures made it difficult to search and rescue people.

(With inputs from agencies)

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