Africa-Press – South-Africa. The body of an infant was found alone in the shack on the side of the road that her parents had built.
A postmortem confirmed the three-month-old died of smoke inhalation after the makeshift home, along a street in Norwood Avenue in Elsies River, caught fire on Wednesday morning.
Residents rushed to the scene and found the baby. The child’s mother was close by.
The fire was dowsed by firefighters.
“It was very shocking and it speaks about the issues in our community that we are suffering of (sic),” said the chairperson of the Elsies River Community Police Forum (CPF), Hamish Arries.
He said the councillor was made aware of the family’s situation, after which social workers visited the home and law enforcement officers warned them to vacate.
“Our main concern was that there were so many role players that could have taken measures to cater for the safety of the children.
“The government had the statutory power to act in the children’s best interests,” said Imraan Mukaddam, the forum’s spokesperson.
Ward councillor, Franchesca Walker, said community leaders had called her to the site.
“It looked like she (the infant) was just sleeping,” she said.
“I found out the mom was on our social development programmes and we had been giving her support, along with her boyfriend,” said Walker.
Walker said they applied to the children’s mayoral fund to help cover the costs of the baby’s funeral.
The Western Cape social development department funds more than 2 000 bed spaces and services at 37 shelters for homeless adults, spokesperson Esther Lewis said.
“Social worker posts are also funded in these shelters. Services include assessments, and referrals to any other services needed by the clients,” she said.
The City of Cape Town has also approved funds for homeless and addiction support.
The City said it plans to spend at least R140 million over three years to expand and operate its Safe Spaces programme beyond the City Centre and Bellville.
A death inquest case docket has been registered.
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