Reports of residential apartments, occupied by families, going up in flames have lately been common, with tragic losses of life in some of the incidents.
Injuries and major of loss of properties as well as loss of goods have also been widely reported, and in most cases, the occupants of the apartments are tenants who often struggle to get answers from the landlords after an inferno.
On Wednesday, IOL reported that the body of a woman was found and extracted inside the Broadwalk Urban Village in Midrand which was gutted by a massive fire on Heritage Day.
In an update at the time, spokesperson for the City of Joburg’s emergency management services (EMS) Xolile Khumalo said the lifeless body was covered under rubble inside the doomed residential complex which used to be an office park.
The inferno was reported at around 9pm on Tuesday, before the whole residential complex was gutted by the fire. Majority of the residents are near-destitute, with only the clothes they were wearing when they fled. Some only managed to salvage their vehicles but lost all household property.
To make matters worse, the City of Joburg said it was struggling to locate the owners of the doomed residential complex. The City said the landlords had offered to reimburse the tenants their deposits – an intervention deemed to be a gravely insufficient.
IOL reached out to several residents of the sprawling residential complexes – which are hit owing to the the purported added security measures.
Many were oblivious to the need to be well-informed of escape routes in the often-high-rise buildings, or how to use basic firefighting equipment like a fire extinguisher.
Polokwane CBD resident Aisha Guti told IOL that she has lived in a 10-storey building for more than three years but she has not taken time to learn how to escape in case of an emergency. Neither has the body corporate taken time to educate residents on what to do in the event of a fire.
In Pretoria central, Noel Mkhwanazi said there are no fire extinguishers in the high-rise building he calls home.
“I worry about my children. They will not make it downstairs if a fire breaks out,” said the father of two.
“You see, we are living in buildings which are getting dilapidated and it would be asking for too much to expect firefighting equipment here. I had to move into an apartment because it provides added security unlike staying in a stand-alone house.”
IOL spoke to safety officer Constance Phillips of Regodise Business Enterprise which offers “one stop industrial health and safety solutions” regarding the safety, or lack thereof, for occupants of mushrooming residential complexes.
“This is a very important matter that is left until a building is ablaze before it is attended to. Essentially, I don’t think anyone has thought about the factors to consider when looking for an apartment, because we are all just looking for a ‘perfect’ apartment,” said Phillips.
“I would recommend the following when looking for an apartment: inspect the apartment for defects, cracks on the wall, mould, loose wiring, check the DB box (power distribution box) and take pictures of any defects you might have come across; test the plugs; is the place child and animal friendly; if there is a braai area how is the excess coal disposed off or the coal that is used in/on hubbly pipes; are there enough fire extinguishers, and where is the fire hydrant stationed; is there a visible escape route in the event of a fire; are there a board or laminated emergency evacuation plan that is visible for all tenants?”
She said there are basic measures that could potentially assist in mitigating accidents or incidents.
In terms of government regulations and by-laws, Phillips said South African law provides various protections for residents and consumers through several government regulations and by-laws including the Consumer Protection Act (CPA); residential protection laws; Rent Control Act; and the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act.
She said regulatory bodies including the National Consumer Commission, the South African Bureau of Standards are there to protect residents against unscrupulous landlords.
However, Phillips said agencies meant to enforce and guarantee standards may be saddled with limitations including budget constraints.
Also, the situation is compounded by lack of awareness on the side of occupants who may not know their rights.
She said another hurdle which adds to the complexity of the situation is overlapping laws and regulations which can create confusion.
“You see I have outlined all the laws and regulations, however, not enough is being done to educate or enforce these laws, an ordinary South African doesn’t even know half of the regulations I mentioned, so we need a system that will allow ordinary South Africans to better access these and know how and when to implement them, in the event that an incident such as the one that has captured our attention (Midrand apartment fire) never happens again,” she said.
“But the aim is to mitigate this so that loss of life doesn’t happen. To enforce these regulations and laws, there should be training, there should be boards that are responsible for making sure that safety is taken seriously,” Phillips said.
“Jail time, fines should be implemented to avoid such mishaps, and make sure that the right protocols are followed in building or selling residential areas or office blocks.”
Phillips adds that common safety requirements and equipment that should seen in residential or office blocks include fire alarms — manual and preferably automatic ones; fire extinguishers positioned on each floor, in corridors, and near exits; fire hydrants that are easily accessible; fire escape routes and exit signs; smoke detectors; emergency lighting; exit signs and illuminated exit routes; first aid kits; safety signs like warnings of slippery floors; and secure entrance and access controls.
“Look, fire drills are extremely important, it would be a great idea to implement this in residential or office settings, there should be a roll call or a register where all residents/ tenants names are recorded so that in the event of a fire or an incident all names will be called out to make sure that everyone is safe,” she said.
“Something that is never actually considered training for caretakers for basic fire fighting and first aider training — where they get taught on how to inspect fire extinguishers, and first aid kits,” Phillips said.
“Fire drills are imperative, it avoids loss of life. Above everything there is a misconception that health and safety is there to make life hard or difficult but I would like to believe that the motto should be. ‘everyone gets to be safe, and we spare a life’. This topic is very vast and should really be prioritised to avoid all the unsafe buildings we have.”
IOL also contacted the national Department of Housing, led by Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, to check if the reports of apartment fires have grabbed the attention of the authorities, and what was being done.
Kubayi’s spokesperson, Terrence Manase sent condolences over the death recorded in Midrand fire, and added that non-compliance with fire regulations was a concern.
“Regarding building fires, we take these incidents seriously and recognise the risks to human life and property. Our concern extends beyond fires to any non-compliant building work threatening human life,” Manase told IOL.
“To address this, our department oversees the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), established in 1998 under the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act (Act No. 95 of 1998).”
The NHBRC protects housing consumers and ensures builders meet industry standards outlined in the Home Building Manual.
Its primary objectives are to protect consumers from unscrupulous home builders; preventing sub-standard housing; ensuring quality workmanship; and promoting use of quality material.
“The NHBRC has punitive measures that it can impose to deal with constructors who do not comply with building standards and they vary from registration suspension and in extreme cases, it can take legal actions against the builder. The department has established legal instruments with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) to ensure accountability,” said Manase.
These instruments require the NHBRC to submit regular reports to the department, complemented by frequent briefing sessions, ensuring ongoing oversight and monitoring.
“Concerning the Midrand Broadwalk Urban Village matter, we are concerned about the developments, especially about the reports of a loss of life. Our hearts go out to the affected. Generally, should there be a finding of non-compliance with standards as set by the NHBRC, we would call for the law to take its course,” said Manase.
Regarding concerns corners being cut in the establishment of mushrooming residential complexes, Manase assured IOL that “rest assured that we prioritise safeguarding South Africans' interests in the housing sector”.
“The rapid growth of residential complexes, which you have termed ‘mushrooming’ is actually a deliberate effort responding to the department’s priority to implement several catalytic human settlement development projects in areas identified for spatial transformation and in deprived areas,” said Manase.
As outlined in the department’s budget vote, Manase said the government’s focus is on transforming communities and this is done through the ‘Social Housing Programme’, which aims to provide affordable housing options.
“This programme is crucial in addressing the housing needs of our citizens, especially in underserved areas and we are recording progress in achieving this goal, and our commitment to delivering quality housing remains unwavering,” Manase reiterated.
IOL