Latest news with #GiftOfTheGivers
News24
08-07-2025
- General
- News24
Hundreds displaced in devastating Durban informal settlement fire
A fire has destroyed around 200 informal structures in Durban's Dakota Informal Settlement, displacing about 300 people. Authorities believe the fire was caused by an imbawula (makeshift heater). The eThekwini municipality, provincial disaster management teams and Gift of the Givers Foundation are providing emergency aid. A fire ripped through the Dakota Informal Settlement in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal, in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving hundreds of residents homeless. It destroyed about 200 informal structures and displaced an estimated 300 people. According to the eThekwini Municipality, emergency services officials and the disaster management teams went to the scene. City spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said firefighters battled for hours to contain and extinguish the blaze. According to initial assessments, she added, the fire was likely caused by a burning brazier, commonly known as an imbawula - a makeshift heating and cooking device widely used in informal settlements. 'Remarkably, no injuries or fatalities were reported. In the aftermath, affected residents found temporary refuge with neighbours, relatives, and friends,' said Sisilana. Meanwhile, onsite humanitarian assistance is being coordinated by the municipality's disaster management directorate in partnership with humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers Foundation, Sisilana said. She added that relief efforts included the distribution of food, blankets, and other essential supplies. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi said the province had also deployed provincial disaster teams to support local teams. Buthelezi said his department confirmed that the provincial Disaster Management Centre was brought on board shortly after the fire broke out to reinforce response operations and assess the extent of the damage. 'This tragic event underscores the vulnerability of informal settlements to fire disasters, especially during winter. Our teams are on the ground to provide relief and prevent further humanitarian impact,' Buthelezi said. Authorities will continue to monitor the situation, and further updates will be released as relief operations progress and damage assessments are finalised. Residents and those who wish to assist with relief efforts are urged to contact the eThekwini Disaster Management Centre or Gift of the Givers Foundation.
News24
06-07-2025
- Climate
- News24
Cape Town storm: Multiple road closures, almost 4 000 displaced as floods damage more homes
Supplied/Gift of the Givers Almost 4 000 people have been left homeless after heavy flooding in Cape Town, with informal settlements among the hardest hit. Torrential rain battered large parts of the city, damaging homes, cutting off access roads, and forcing families to seek shelter elsewhere. According to the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), more than 3 700 residents have been affected in Vygieskraal and surrounding areas, with flooding hitting areas including Gugulethu, Mfuleni, Khayelitsha, Du Noon and Athlone. On Sunday, the City of Cape Town's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said that 67 homes at the Intertersite and Sanitizer informal settlements in Langa had been affected, impacting 240 people. In Masincedane, 20 dwellings have been hard hit by the rain, affecting 80 people and in Kampies, Strandfontein, officials counted 50 impacted dwellings, displacing 150 people. READ | More than 2 000 displaced, canal bank bursts, power outages as parts of Cape Town flooded 'The City's Informal Settlements Management branch has been activated to provide assistance to affected residents – we have also alerted the National Human Settlements Department to conduct assessments,' City DMC spokesperson Charlotte Powell said. She added that the City's NGO partners would provide humanitarian relief, while the roads and infrastructure management department has been requested to provide sand and milling. 'DRM will continue to conduct assessments in informal settlements situated in low-lying areas, while the Catchment, Stormwater and River Management branch is monitoring waterways (rivers and canals).' 'While the worst of the rainfall is behind us, the cold and damp conditions will persist. The City has availed seven drop-off sites for donations of non-perishable foodstuffs.' Humanitarian relief organisation Gift of the Givers said they have assisted more than 35 000 people since the cold front hit parts of the province. Supplied/Gift of the Givers 'The Gift of the Givers team distributed in excess of 10 000 meals yesterday (Saturday), blankets, beanies, and other personal hygienic personal packs. Our teams distributed in Nyanga, Langa, Khayelitsha, Nomzamo, [and] Lwandle,' said Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay. Western Cape Department of Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers has urged road users to travel cautiously during rainy weather, as visibility is impaired and roads can become slippery. 'Please stay clear of flooded roads and use alternative routes,' he cautioned. The following road closures are active: Cape Winelands District DR1341 (Die Plaat), Bonnievale, Km 0.99-1.10: Road temporarily closed. DR1397 (Merwe Street): Drift over Breede River at km 7.9: Road closed. DR1398 (Slanghoek Road): Low water structure over Breede River: Road closed. West Coast District OP7623 (Bergrivier Municipality), Uitvlug: Road closed. MR539 Low water bridge, N7 to Algeria: Road closed. DRI 176 Matjiesrivier: Road closed to traffic. MR174 between Malmesbury and Klipheuwel: Road closed. MR215 between Darling and R27 (Yzerfontein): Road closed.
The Herald
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
UDM donates R300K to flood relief in Mthatha
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has donated R300,000 in flood relief to assist victims hit by devastating floods in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape last month. More than 100 bodies have been recovered from districts. OR Tambo remains the hardest hit with 78 fatalities, Amathole recorded 10, Alfred Nzo five, Joe Gqabi two, Sarah Baartman two and Chris Hani five. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the fund will be used to help victims buy basic essentials such as food and toiletries. 'We expect the amount to be stretched to assist as many people as possible and we trust the UDM committee and the communities' committee will exercise wise and responsible discretion in the spending of the funds,' he said in a letter to UDM provincial secretary Bulelani Bobotyane. 'A date for the distribution of the care packages must be determined and publicised to ensure community awareness. Receipts for all expenses must be collected and safely stored and the originals submitted to the UDM national office. The national office must be informed of the distribution plans before any handover taking place.' He said Butterworth victims will benefit from the proceeds of the Bantu Holomisa Charity Golf Day scheduled for August 22. A few weeks ago, the party donated clothes and food parcels to three centres for Mthatha flood victims. Several organisations and entities, including the National Lottery Commission, Gift of the Givers and the EFF, have pledged to donate to the Eastern Cape flood crisis. The Eastern Cape government has provided shelter, meals and necessities to families placed in community care centres and accommodation establishments in and around Mthatha. TimesLIVE
News24
26-06-2025
- Climate
- News24
About 5 000 people in need of help as Western Cape roads, homes flooded - Gift of the Givers
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers Foundation has been called out to multiple flooded areas in the Western Cape. Around 5 000 people are in need of assistance, the organisation estimates. This after a cut-off low weather system brought heavy rain, wind, and cold temperatures to the Western Cape, leaving roads and homes flooded. 'It was a rough night,' Gift of the Givers Foundation operations manager Ali Sablay said on Thursday morning. This after a cut-off low weather system brought heavy rain, wind, and cold temperatures to the Western Cape, leaving roads and homes flooded. He estimated that around 5 000 people were in need of assistance after the humanitarian organisation responded to a flood of calls for help from all over Cape Town. 'We see the number increasing as the rain is not stopping. The calls have been pouring in. Many have been requesting assistance with hot meals, as all their food has been contaminated. We expect to distribute close to 5 000 meals today, along with blankets, clothing, and water,' he said. 'It's going to be a huge operational task.' The first urgent appeals were from Lwandle and Nomzamo, where close to 1 000 residents have been severely affected. Other calls for help came from Khayelitsha, Du Noon, Mfuleni, Gugulethu, Philippi, Philippi East, Mitchells Plain, Chris Nissen Park, Macassar, and Nyanga. 'In the West Coast, the Saldanha Bay Municipality and West Coast Disaster Management have called on our teams after heavy downpours left the entire Middelpos informal settlement submerged, with hundreds of structures underwater,' he said. Among the parts of Cape Town that were flooded were Vygieskraal, Bonnytoun, Gxagxa IFS, Lotus River, Klipfontein Road, Barcelona, Phola Park, Imizamo Yethu, Hangberg, Overcome Heights, Lwandle, Macassar, and Khayelitsha. In addition, according to the City of Cape Town, there were reports of fallen trees and debris in several areas, including Blue Downs, Constantia, Blackheath, Sunningdale, and Bellville. Cape Town Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Sonica Lategan said: 'The Disaster Risk Management Teams will continue assessments in the areas where flooding was reported, to determine the extent and the nature of humanitarian relief required.' 'The rain is expected to abate by afternoon, with more light showers expected from tomorrow,' she added. Donations of non-perishable foods can be dropped off at the seven fire stations that have been designated as drop-off points. They are in Constantia, Goodwood, Hout Bay, Lakeside, Roeland Street, Strand and Wynberg.
News24
20-06-2025
- News24
Gift of the Givers calls for arrest of ‘water mafia' after threats in flood-ravaged Mthatha
Gift of the Givers Foundation staff received threats while providing water to residents in flood-ravaged Mthatha. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu previously condemned the threats, and authorities are providing armed protection for aid workers. The humanitarian organisation called for the arrest of those responsible. Gift of the Givers Foundation founder Imtiaz Sooliman has called for the arrest of the 'water mafia' after aid workers were threatened while distributing water to flood-ravaged residents in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The person who made the threats, he said, was driving a black Toyota Fortuner at the time. His call came days after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and the OR Tambo District Municipality condemned the intimidation of the workers. The municipality has contracts with companies that own water tankers and distribute water to people during outages. Gift of the Givers has been distributing the water for free ever since the floods hit the Eastern Cape, claiming the lives of at least 92 people, most of them in Mthatha. Sooliman said information indicated that someone driving a black Toyota Fortuner had made the threats. 'Gift of the Givers appreciates the message of support from the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, against the water mafia who tried to intimidate Gift of the Givers drivers while delivering life-saving water to the people of Mthatha, who were severely affected by the floods,' he added. READ | Gift of the Givers 'water mafia' intimidation an attack on ubuntu, says Mchunu 'Given the hardship and difficulty of the people and given the fact that [over] 90 people have passed on, the behaviour of the water mafia is totally disgusting. We appreciate the fact that the SAPS acted immediately by sending an armed person in the truck with our drivers, as well as a car following the water tankers. 'The situation has completely calmed down, but we are calling on the community of Mthatha to help us find a black Toyota Fortuner from which the threat was made, and we need that person arrested,' he said Sooliman added that profiteering from people's hardship needed to stop: This is a message to the water mafia: we will take you on wherever you are because Gift of the Givers is not afraid of anyone. 'We have the support of the government, the SAPS, the SANDF, and above all, we have the support of the communities and the municipalities when it comes to assisting people in dire need, as is the case now in Mthatha and the Eastern Cape. 'This kind of heinous behaviour has to stop. We hope that the government will now extend the support it is giving to Gift of the Givers to all areas where the water mafia are capitalising. All those types of tenders have to stop in the interest of saving money and in the interest of the people of our country,' he said. On Wednesday, Mchunu said the police would not tolerate any attempt to intimidate or obstruct those working tirelessly to save lives and bring relief to the people. 'Gift of the Givers has consistently been a source of hope and dignity to South Africans in their hour of need. Any attack on them is an attack on the very principle of ubuntu,' the minister said.
