# Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has urged provinces to prioritise upgrading informal settlements following a fire in Boksburg’s Marikana settlement that killed six people. A seven-year-old was rescued and has been hospitalised with severe burns. She called the tragedy a wake-up call. Simelane highlighted plans to upgrade over four-thousand informal settlements by 2029 and complete stalled housing projects. The Emergency Housing Unit has been deployed to assist, as disasters continue to impact communities in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.
Minister Simelane urges provinces to fast-track informal settlement upgrades