The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services have scaled back operations in the South Peninsula as conditions improve. Areas such as Boyes Drive to Kalk Bay, Clovelly, and Ou Kaapse Weg to Noordhoek have now been declared safe. Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said there are still some hotspots in the Klein Constantia area that firefighters are unable to access, but these are being closely monitored. […]
Humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers has stepped in to support firefighters battling devastating wildfires across Cape Town, while also assisting residents affected by fires in informal settlements. Speaking to NewsBeat on Tuesday, Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said, “On Sunday morning, we received a call from the Disaster Risk Management Teams requesting assistance as firefighters were struggling to contain an intense blaze.” Sablay explained that their […]
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services continues to battle a large wildfire that broke out over the weekend. Three separate fires ignited in the Lower and Upper Tokai regions of Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) on Friday. While two have been successfully contained, the third blaze remains active. Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Tuesday, spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that most roadways have since been reopened. He also urged residents to […]
An alleged arson attack early Saturday morning (29 March 2025) caused devastating losses at the Ihata Shelter for abused women and children in Welcome Estate. The fire, which broke out in the shelter’s storerooms, resulted in damages estimated at R90,000, destroying vital resources, including ten computers meant for a youth program and a food truck used for sustainability training. Chief Operations Officer Nuraan Osman described the ordeal: “In the early […]
The fire that started over the weekend, high on the slopes of Newlands, moved over the mountain saddle and headed toward the Cape Town Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday night, according to the City of Cape Town (COCT). Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Edward Bosch said they have two active divisions where firefighting strategies and resources are focused. “Two helicopters have been water-bombing since first light on the flanks […]
Firefighters are battling to contain a blaze that ripped through the Masiphumelele area in the early hours of Monday morning. Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said they received reports of structures and reeds alight just after 05h00 this morning. “Crews from various fire stations are currently on scene and some vehicles are positioned near Lake Michelle. Our Incident Management Team for area South is on scene to co-ordinate […]
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) has activated a Joint Operations Centre to coordinate response and recovery efforts following a fire in the Taiwan Informal Settlement on Wednesday afternoon. DRMC spokesperson Charlotte Powell confirmed that local humanitarian aid organisations have been called upon to assist affected residents while assessments are underway to determine the full extent of the damage. “The results of the assessments will be […]
A fire destroyed approximately 20 shacks in the Kayamandi informal settlement in Stellenbosch on New Year’s morning, leaving around 90 people, including infants, homeless. The blaze broke out just before midnight, and firefighters battled it for nearly two hours. Residents are now relying on aid from the Gift of the Givers Foundation and the Stellenbosch municipality, especially for school uniforms and stationery lost in the fire. Gift of the Givers […]
By Lee-Yandra Paulsen Since the start of May, the City of Cape Town's Fire and Rescue Department has responded to almost 500 fire-related incidents. Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Monday morning, Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said his department has been inundated with reports of both formal and informal fires. “We have seen an uptick in fire-related reports in the past month. We’ve responded to about 255 informal structure […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
