Rebuilding efforts are underway in Silvertown informal settlement after a devastating shack fire displaced 140 people last weekend. The blaze has reignited frustrations over the delayed Silvertown Emergency Housing Project, initially promised following a 2018 fire that left 340 families homeless.
Despite a 2023 deadline for the first phase, no houses have been built, leaving residents vulnerable to recurring disasters. Community leaders and activists accuse the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure of failing to act with urgency.
“It’s called an emergency housing program, but there was no sense of emergency at all,” said one critic. “Years later, no bricks have been laid, and people are still suffering the same way they did in 2018. We need action—not promises.”
For residents, the pain is all too familiar. Some have lost everything not once, but twice.
The provincial department blames delays on unforeseen circumstances, including COVID-19 disruptions, but insists the project is on track for completion by 2027.
“The delays are unfortunate but beyond our control,” a department spokesperson said. “This is a phased project. We’ve completed 80% of the civil works—roads, drainage, and pavements—before we can start building houses.”
As winter sets in, fears grow not only of fires but also of floods, putting vulnerable households at further risk.
For residents, the wait for safer housing continues, with many questioning when—or if—the promised homes will ever materialize.