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Pta counting flats-fire tenants
23/07/2008 19:13 - (SA)
Pretoria - Tenants from the Kruger Park blocks of flats are being registered to verify their legal status as tenants.
City spokesperson Console Tleane added that by Wednesday morning registration of residents had begun.
So far, 1 800 people had been registered.
Five people, including a toddler, died in the fire in Kruger Park block.
Tleane said the registration "is to verify their status as legal tenants".
Sergeant Harris Seamego of Gauteng police said the fire allegedly was started by residents of the Kruger Park flats after Red Ants security guards began evicting their neighbours in the Schubart Park block.
Forensic experts at work
Commenting on Wednesday afternoon, Seamego said the Tshwane metro police and the SA police had been helping residents to gather their belongings from the Kruger Park building which has been declared unsafe.
"Forensic experts are now trying to establish the cause of the fire," said Seamego.
Tleane said the city had arranged for residents to spend the night at a Pretoria North hall. Residents would be bused there.
"If it happens that there is an overflow of people, the Dutch Reformed Church has offered to house 100 women and children while the Akasia Hall has also been arranged if there is an overflow," said Tleane.
He could not give an indication as to how long the residents would be housed.
"That will be determined on a day-to-day basis."
In the meantime, three men arrested in connection with the fire are expected to appear in court on Thursday, said Gauteng police.
Accused 'lived at the flats'
Seamego said on Wednesday that three men - aged 27, 32 and 35 - were to appear in Pretoria Magistrate's Court on charges of arson and murder.
"All three are South African citizens, they were also residents at the flats," he said.
The three were arrested after security guards at the flats allegedly saw them park their vehicle outside the building. The vehicle had been parked inside the parking area at the building before the fire.
The three were arrested hours after the fire broke out at the flats.
Tleane said a report on recommendations on how to address the people left homeless had been handed to the mayoral committee on Wednesday morning.
Two committees on problem
" The report was presented to the committee which resolved to have a team invoked with immediate effect.
"An independent committee will also be established to analyse the situation and to make recommendations to the council," said Tleane.
The two committees were expected to report back to the council next month.
- SAPA
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