CAPE TOWN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of vulnerable South Africans still face dangers as can be shown by a blaze that killed five children over night, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday.
Ramaphosa joined the nation in mourning the death of the five children killed in a fire in an informal settlement in Masiya, Cape Town. The fire ripped through 10 homes, displacing about 30 people.
The incident "is a tragedy that brings home the dangers faced by thousands of vulnerable South Africans, especially during winter," said the president.
"This tragedy touches and affects all of us as South Africans, especially as we mark Youth Month during which our nation's attention is focused on creating a better life for young people," he said.
June is celebrated as Youth Month in South Africa, paying tribute to the school pupils and ordinary citizens who lost their lives during a student uprising on June 16, 1976.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it was believed that the fire was probably the result of residents using a paraffin stove to keep warm.
Since 1994 when apartheid was brought to an end, the government has made significant strides in the development of human settlements but tragedies such as this still happen, Ramaphosa said.
These tragedies "remind all of us of the hard work yet to be done to ensure that there is housing, security and comfort for all South Africans," he said.
Ramaphosa pledged that the government will do its best to assist the affected families.
"We will also work with communities to promote safety measures at a time when many families use various forms of fuel and heating to keep warm," he added.
South Africa always sees a spike in shack fires in winter when impoverished families burn wood or fuel to keep warm.
In a separate incident on Friday, two children were killed when a fire broke out at their home in the Enkanini informal settlement, also in Cape Town.
In the Spooktown informal settlement, Gauteng Province, three children were killed on Tuesday night when a blaze ripped through their home.
Lack of basic services, such as proper heating system and electricity, are some of the major factors that lead to shack fires.
People in informal settlements across the country stage protests against poor service delivery every year.
The opposition United Democratic Movement claims that the country experiences 30 service delivery protests a day.
