THE number of people living in informal dwellings in the Cape Town metropole is staggering – although official figures are hard to come by there are up to 2-million people on the City’s housing list. Some have been waiting for more than 25 years for a formal dwelling unit.
The City is battling to cope but has reportedly released 9 000 starter kits comprising zinc coated corrugated steel in the last three months alone.
Figures extrapolated from the Stats SA 2011 census figures suggest there are well over 400 000 shacks in the Metropole and statements issued by the City for the first eight months of 2021 showed that it responded to 1 195 fires in informal settlements.
The number of deaths caused by shack fires topped 80 lives in the first eight months of 2021 according to GroundUp, while hundreds have been displaced.
The situation is dire, and while there isn’t an immediate solution to the colossal housing problem, there are measures that can be taken to minimise the death and destruction caused when shacks catch alight.
Causes are not difficult to understand in overcrowded living conditions where five or more individuals share a 2,4 x 2,4 metre living space.
The open flame of candles, paraffin and gas appliances are obvious candidates which are used for heating in bitterly cold winters coupled with inflammable cardboard and plastic bottles and sheeting used to block up gaping holes in the structure. All these materials are fuel for intense fires which quickly reach 1 000⁰C in just a few minutes, especially if fanned by a Cape South-Easter, providing little time for the victims to escape…
Passive fire protection – a proven answer
Mandoval is a major provider of Vermiculite based passive fire protection products in SA.
“Passive fire protection is something that is built into a building to try to protect people if there is a fire” explained Mandoval and patent company Erakis CEO Andrew Lashbrooke.
“The idea is to contain the fire so it does not spread (compartmentalisation) and to protect the structure for as long as possible to allow the fire firefighters to get to the site and extinguish the blaze and to allow people to escape”.
Mandoval’s Tekrok C product has been tested by the SABS and is specially formulated fireproofing plaster, designed to withstand the extreme fire conditions associated with the petrochemical industry. Tekrok C has also been formulated to withstand moderate resistance to impact, most industrial chemicals and can be used indoors and outdoors in extreme weather conditions without any deterioration plus the coating has the advantage of creating additional water proofing and insulation during cold and hot weather conditions.
Tested
In 2021 Mandoval gained approval by the City to conduct tests to demonstrate the fire retarding properties of the product in a simulated shack fire which was carried out under controlled conditions at the Epping Fire Station.
The simulation comprised six structures in total, including five made from corrugated iron and one from wood to imitate typical real life conditions. Tekrok C was sprayed onto two of the corrugated iron structures and also onto the wooden one.
The remaining three corrugated iron structures were not sprayed with the product.
The burn lasted approximately one hour before being extinguished and in this time, the uncoated structures took approximately 15 minutes to burn to a point of collapse while the plastered corrugated iron structures withstood the burn and effectively resisted the transfer of the fire from the uncoated structures. The effect was the same for the wooden structure. The weather conditions were mild with a moderate breeze. In strong winds, which are the conditions of most severe informal settlement fires, the similar results could be expected.
Extended benefits
“Our company has been in existence for 75 years and in the forefront of many of the leading passive fire applications used throughout the world. We look forward to working with the authorities, fire services and communities to identify opportunities to apply Tekrok C and providing residents with improved comfort and security,’ said Lashbrooke.
“The application equipment and the skills to apply it are easy to acquire. We are prepared to train women and young people if taken forward, thus creating employment.
“In addition to the passive fire protection benefits, it seals the dwelling making it waterproof and is a great insulator meaning that homes will be cooler in summer and warmer in winter, which in itself might lead to fewer fires. It can also be painted, so once completed an individual or community can decorate their community as they wish” Lashbrooke explained.
Expected Outcomes / Benefits
“Tekrok C – even if applied to the outside of a building will contain a fire if it starts inside a protected structure.
The building will burn and the contents will be lost, but this is not about stopping fires occurring or even stopping them dead in their tracks if they do occur.
“It is about limiting damage, providing people with time to get out and away from the fire area so lives are not lost, and giving time for the authorities to get to the site and put out the fire before it spreads and causes massive loss of property and lives.
Economics
“This is an inexpensive solution that can save lives!’ implored Lashbrooke, “but economies of scale will make the application of the product more attractive to funders.”
And thereby lays the nub of the problem. The City’s budget for informal housing is approximately R3-bn pa bolstered with additional central Government grants of more than R1-bn. Compare this to R23-bn for health and a similar amount for education.
The informal housing problem is huge and requires decisive action and appropriate funding, but a start could be made in safeguarding life and property. This Mandoval product is locally produced and its application could create jobs. “What we really need is the City to permit us to do the pilot so that we can prove the benefits in real conditions. Based on the benefits proven to communities and the authorities the funding will be found from authorities, company social responsibility programmes and from relevant NGOs” he concluded.
