Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader, John Steenhuisen said the party would continue to push for adequate housing and safer living conditions for those living in the inner city of Johannesburg.
Steenhuisen was commenting on the catastrophic fire that gutted a hijacked building in the city centre on Thursday morning, leaving more than 60 people dead so far.
“This is a catastrophe for our nation, causing unimaginable pain and suffering to innocent people,” Steenhuisen said.
“The DA mourns this tragic loss and we pray that emergency services in Johannesburg will work swiftly to prevent any further loss of life, and to bring comfort to those affected by this tragedy.”
He extended the party’s condolences to all the individuals and families affected by the horrific fire.
He said that the DA’s public representatives in Johannesburg would be on the ground to do what they can to assist those affected.
“We will continue to push for safer living conditions and the provision of adequate housing for inner city residents. Now is the time for South Africans to stand together for better and safer living conditions for all,” he said.
On Thursday morning, spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) Robert Mulaudzi said emergency services arrived at a hijacked residential building in Marshalltown, Johannesburg where a fire broke out around 1am.
At this stage, firefighting operations have stopped and the fire has been extinguished. Mulaudzi said they are now conducting search and recovery, just to make sure that each and every floor is checked for bodies.
