Day care deadly fire brighs spotlight to informal centres
JOHANNESBURG - Building fires are becoming increasingly common in the City of Joburg.
Many of these blazes occur in illegally occupied and non-compliant properties.
In Mayfair, a blaze at an informal creche left four toddlers dead.
Desperate parents turn to these centres as havens for their children despite the risks.
READ | Police probe fire that killed four children in Mayfair
According to the Guidelines for Early Childhood Development Services, childcare centres have to provide structures that are safe, weatherproof and well-ventilated.
While playrooms, offices and kitchens should be clearly marked.
Residents in the area say they've reported the centre's shortcomings multiple times to no avail.
Junior Shuma, is in mourning after entrusting staff with her 19-month-old daughter, Precious, who died in the fire.
She had been bringing her child here since she was three-months-old, and saw the daycare owner as an elder she could trust with her child.
Aziz Ally, a resident in the area says the building had been flagged for non-compliance in 2022.
The matter was reported to the City of Joburg but nothing was done.
Ally, dismayed by this, says had the city not failed to heed it's the tragedy could have been avoided.
Johannesburg Human Settlements MMC, Mlungisi Mabaso, noted the tragedy and how zoning by-laws are often ignored.
'Areas are zoned for particular reasons so that if there are any disasters, we can respond in line with what is expected of us.'
Mabaso says efforts to stabilise law enforcement, especially the JMPD, are underway.
He says the department's by-law unit has been operating without a director for the past five years, but a recent appointment may turn the tide.
According to the city's building by-laws, the storage and accumulation of combustible material is prohibited and owners or occupiers of the property must immediately dispose of hazards.
Provisions should also be made for sprinklers, extractor fans, emergency exits and firefighting equipment.
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