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FOR the umpteenth time, families living in Masiphumelele are finding themselves sifting through ashes to salvage what few possessions remain after yet another fire ravaged a portion of the township on Wednesday.

This time 100 families have been burned out and left destitute in a fire believed to have been started by an unattended paraffin stove.

And overcrowded conditions are again being blamed for preventing firefighters from reaching the heart of the fire.

"This site, however, was not part of an informal settlement ? as was the case in all the fires in Masi?phumelele last year. It almost makes the whole event more tragic, because a solution to the problem seems even further out of reach," says ward councillor Felicity Purchase.

"The fire occurred in an official neighbourhood, which shows that these fires cannot be stemmed by the provision of houses alone. The problem goes much deeper than that," she says.

Purchase is of the opinion that the economic collapse of certain parts of the Eastern Cape and the resulting influx into Cape Town and Masi?phumelele lies at the root of the problem.

"There is just no space and people will find a place to live if the need is there. Although this site was part of the 'official' neighbourhood, with some people owning formal houses and others waiting for delivery, the fire was still largely inaccessible because of the number of back-yard dwellers.

"People might say fire education is the key to preventing overcrow?ding, but when people have nowhere to live, their immediate need will override any fear of a future fire," she says.

"It is an absolute tragedy and I don't know what the solution might be," Purchase says.

Vuyisile Vlavuza, chairperson of the Masiphumelele Development Forum, agrees with Purchase that overcrowding is a major fire risk, but also believes there is a solution to the problem.

"There definitely is hope if all the roleplayers just do their bit," Vlavuza says.

"The Development Forum and other organisations have been working hard to see housing deli?vered to the people and we should be seeing results by the end of the year, which will certainly help.

"The problem of overcrowding, as Purchase says, is a complex one and the responsibility to solve it lies with government," he says.

"The constant influx of people searching for jobs in the Western Cape is not something we can judge as it is their right to do so, to make a living for themselves.

"Government needs to look at a program of job creation in the Eas?tern Cape as the space and resour?ces in the Western Cape cannot carry the added human pressure, Vlavuza adds. According to Vlavuza, one of the biggest contributors to the problem is the many shebeens in the area which operate past agreed-upon times - 22:00 on week nights and 21:00 on weekends.

"All the fires, with the exception of this one, were caused by drunk people. They spend the night drin?king in a shebeen until the early hours and when they come home they try to cook food in their drun?ken state. What we really need is the police in the area to enforce shebeen clo?sing times," Vlavuza says.

. Donations for the community of Masi?phumelele can be dropped off at People's Post's offices in Tokai or Fish Hoek, as well as at McDonald?s at Longbeach Mall. Phone Jeanine Venter on (021) 782-6016 for directions to People's Post.

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