Joburg Human Settlements Dept in the process of demolishing Madala hostel

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Human Settlements in Johannesburg said it was in the process of demolishing Madala hostel, the oldest one in the city.

A fire that broke out at the hostel on Tuesday, destroying four units and a communal kitchen, would fast-track this process.

It has been reported that the affected section won’t be repaired; instead, more of the infrastructure will be torn down.

The hostel, situated in the north of Johannesburg, was hit by yet another fire.

In 2013, a blaze resulted in the roof of one of its top floors being completely gutted.

Hostel residents had complained about the city’s slow pace to fix that roof.

In the recent fire, seven adults and two children were left displaced.

There were no fatalities; however, the belongings of people livingthere were destroyed.

MMC for Human Settlements Mlungisi Mabaso explained why the affected section won’t be repaired: "Already, there are processes that were underway, in terms of the redevelopment of this particular hostel because the engineering report that we obtained from our national assessment, it recommended that we demolish this hostel, so there isn’t really much we can do."

The department has provided alternative accommodation for those affected.