President Cyril Ramaphosa said illegal hijacking of buildings remains a big challenge while speaking outside the five-storey Usindiso Shelter for Women and Children Building in Marshalltown in Joburg’s inner city where 77 people died on Wednesday night after the building caught fire.
By Friday hundreds of people who survived the inferno were still on the streets guarding their belongings, some saying they had nowhere to go despite the City offer of alternative accommodation.
Ramaphosa said during his visit on Thursday evening that the government needs to tackle the illegal invasion of buildings.
“It’s not allowed to happen (illegal invasion). It’s the overwhelming problem which the City, I know, has sought and has been working on addressing. This building is owned by the City. Having tried to get order in this building they had barricades and there were attempts that were made but the lesson for us is that we’ve got to address this problem,” he said.
Ramaphosa said tough lessons have been learnt from the horror that claimed so many lives.
“It is these types of buildings that are taken over by criminals who then levy rent on vulnerable people who need and want accommodation in the inner City. It speaks to the types of cities we should have as South Africa as we move forward. Poor people need to live in the City but there needs to be order. There needs to be law and order in the City,” he added.
The Gauteng Department of Health informed families of the victims to go to the Diepkloof mortuary in Soweto to identify their loved ones. In a statement the department said there are 74 deceased bodies (12 of which are children) being processed at the Gauteng Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) mortuary in Diepkloof.
These bodies include 40 males, 24 females and 10 people who are undetermined as they were burned beyond recognition. There are also four body parts which have also been discovered, officials said.
“A family member or relative who wishes to identify their loved one should have their original Identity Document (ID), ID of the deceased or birth certificate if the deceased is a child.
If the deceased is a foreign national, a passport, asylum seeker certificate or a letter from country of origin confirming who the deceased is and to whom the remains should be handed over to is needed.
“The Diepkloof FPS is located at 2 Collinder Road Berthsam, Diepkloof, Soweto,” said the statement.
At around 2pm on Thursday there were 61 people from the incident who had been treated at Gauteng hospitals which include Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, South Rand Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and Tembisa Hospital.
“Sixteen (16) of these patients were discharged, 17 admitted and others were still being seen by the doctors.”
The president was set to address the county at 8pm on the outcomes of the BRICS Summit but canceled the briefing due to the tragic fire at the Joburg building that made headlines all over the world.
