Msawawa Informal Settlement

By Jayne Haywood

Msawawa Informal Settlement in Kya Sands, first established in the 1990’s, occupies government and private land. The area has recently been under the spotlight due to the insanitary living conditions causing a health hazard to residents. Overcrowded conditions with so many shacks close together, and the majority of cooking and heating facilities using open flames, have resulted in outbreaks of fire on a regular basis.

On Thursday November the 12^th 2015 a large fire broke out, damaging more than one hundred shacks and leaving over one thousand homeless. Residents who were there at the time managed to rescue most of their belonging before the fire reached their homes. Those who were out lost everything: including furnishings, food, electrical goods, clothing, bedding, school books and important documents.

May of the homeless spent the first night sleeping on the open in neighbouring fields. Emergency aid was provided the following morning by Shoprite, Gift of the Givers and local residents of Kya Sands who supplied food, clothing, blankets and baby products. Residents, attempt to retrieve their belongings after fire destroyed homes, Kya Sands. 11.11.15. Wide spread shack fires, Kya Sands, Johannesburg, 11.11.15. Wide spread shack fires, Kya Sands, Johannesburg, 11.11.15. The morning after wide spread shack fires destroyed many homes, Kya Sands, Johannesburg. 12.11.15.