Nine people have been killed in three separate fires in Cape Town's shack settlements between Friday night and Saturday morning, the city's fire and rescue services said.

A fire at the Mandela Park informal settlement near Hout Bay claimed two lives and was still burning at mid-morning on Saturday, said Layne.

Residents fled with their belongings from the narrow alleys between the corrugated iron houses to the safety of nearby tar roads, but two were trapped in the flames and died.

"There are going to be hundreds of people displaced," said Layne, adding that disaster relief teams were on their way to assist.

He said that they had battled to get close to the fire because people had been dumping their belongings in the road as they evacuated.

Western Cape Traffic spokesperson Kenny Africa said that the fire brigade had encountered hostility and had to withdraw at one point.

The fire was also reportedly spreading into the mountain above Hout Bay.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday.

In Witsand informal settlement near Delft, a man, a woman, a little girl and boy died when a fire swept through there overnight.

In the Kosovo informal settlement a man, a woman, and a child died when their home went up in flames.

Kosovo was in the news in 2014 during a massive protest over the supply of portaloos for the community which was fed up with living conditions there.

Hout Bay residents have issued a call for donations of toiletries, food and clothes to be taken to collection points at the Oakhurst Spar and Victoria Road Spar, while the animal welfare organisation DARG is mobilising to help the residents' pets.

Layne urged people wanting to help to stay clear of the access roads to Mandela Park so that the fire and rescue vehicles can get through quickly.

News24</s>High winds forced Cape Town to cancel its annual cycle tour on Sunday as gales threatened to knock riders off their bikes and organisers warned that fires threatened the route.

Cyclists preparing for the Cape Town Cycle Tour struggled to hold onto their super-lightweight bikes as they were caught up in strong gusts, according to an AFP correspondent on the scene.

Winds reached 100 km/h (62 mph) on some parts of the course used for the event which is the largest individually time race in the world, organisers said in a statement.

There were also fears that fires which have spread across the region in recent days could also have threatened the ride, the 40th time that it has been held in the city on South Africa's west coast.

It is the first time that the tour, which was expected to attract 35,000 cyclists, has been cancelled.

"This morning presented a number of challenges` not least of which were wind speeds considerably higher than predicted yesterday`" Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust marketing director David Bellairs told local media following the decision to cancel the 109-kilometre-long (68-mile-) ride.

"This` combined with a large fire that broke out in Hout Bay in the early hours of this morning` and the added risk of protest action en route` were all contributing factors to the decision... to stop the event`" he said.

Riders who had already started the course were turned back by organisers at the 21 kilometre point.

Many of the participants had travelled from overseas to join the event.

"I'm from Cape Town so it's not a major train smash that it was cancelled. I just feel for all the guys and girls that have come from far away`" cyclist Greg Anderson told Times media.</s>Nine people have lost their lives in the fires‚ which have destroyed hundreds of homes.

DA Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela offered his condolences to the families of those who had perished in the fires and urged others affected by the disaster to be vigilant of their own safety.

He said he would be visiting the Hout Bay area where two people are reported to have died to offer assistance to those who had been affected.

"I have also visited Wesbank near Kuils River today‚ where a family of four people lost their lives in a fire. I will engage the Western Cape Minister of Social Development in the Western Cape‚ Albert Fritz‚ to request that those who have been traumatised by these fires can receive counselling from his department‚” he said.

He welcomed the responsiveness of the City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue services as well as disaster management.

“We will assist those affected as best we can in dealing with the devastation caused by these fires.”

Three people were killed in separate fires in Kosovo‚ near Philippi.</s>The 2017 Cape Town Cycle Tour race has been cancelled as wind speeds of up to 80km/h made the course unsafe.

The 109km race takes place annually, with a spectacular route around the Cape Peninsula – starting from the city of Cape Town. However, after cyclists had to walk across the start line due to the severity of the wind, the race was called off.

To the 35,000 cyclists from around the world billed to take part, the cancellation will come as a blow, but looking at footage from the city, it seems to have been the right decision for safety.

Twitter has been awash with videos of people falling over and being blown backward by the gale.

All was not lost, though as the organisers turned it into an opportunity to do good.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour announced that all food and drink from the cancelled race would be donated to the victims of a fire in Hout Bay, which destroyed hundreds of homes and left over one thousand people homeless.</s>It was the first ever cancellation of the event in which 35‚000 cyclists - including many from abroad – would have participated.

Videos taken at the starting point of the Tour in the City's foreshore showed cyclists being blown off their bicycles.

The organisers stated during a media conference on Sunday morning at the Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel‚ where many of the cyclists from overseas were staying‚ that the decision was made to protect the participants from “potential fatality” especially as the riders would have had to traverse Chapman's Peak.

“This morning presented a number of challenges‚ not least of which were wind speeds considerably higher than predicted yesterday‚” said the marketing‚ media‚ and sponsorship director of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust‚ David Bellairs at the conference.

"This‚ combined with a large fire that broke out in Hout Bay in the early hours of this morning‚ an the added risk of protest action en route‚ were all contributing factors to the decision made in our Joint Operation Centre VOC commander to stop the event‚” he said.

A protest broke out near Masiphumelele which forced the route to be shortened. Richard Bosman‚ City of Cape Town Safety and Security executive director‚ said the protest seemed to be about "contention on land" in the area.

The City's firefighters were also battling a blaze in the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Hout Bay. A massive effort was still underway to help victims after at least 650 homes were destroyed.

All of the Powerade and Coca Cola which was brought in for the Tour was now being redirected to help the victims.
• Cyclists' loss is fire victims' gain as Cape Town opens its heart

"We're currently sitting in a drought scenario here in Cape Town‚ as a result fires have been a problem. The decision to move the event to a different date I think is something that needs to be discussed by the board of trustees. I think it's highly unlikely at this point‚" said Bellairs.

When asked whether they would start the Tour at a different point in the future he said: "It's the first time that we've had these kind of wind speeds at the foreshore and it could very well be a possibility."

Bellairs said no one would be refunded for the event.

Cyclist Greg Anderson from Cape Town said he understood why the race had to be cancelled and that he would do it again next year.

“I'm from Cape Town so it's not a major train smash that it was cancelled. I just feel for all the guys and girls that have come from far away‚” he said.

He suggested that the organisers reduce the fees by half for next year's registration for the people who were going to ride this year and donate the rest of the money to charity.

“The sad thing is the expenses and man hours that have gone into it already - setting it all up‚ the tents‚ the registration‚” said Anderson‚ who has done two Tours before.

“They cancelled the New York Marathon a few years ago because of the hurricane and that was devastation‚ this was a bit of wind. I think there's going to be a lot of pissed-off people but I'm not one of them‚” he said.

Two participants from the UK‚ Philip Robinson and his wife Caroline‚ said the Tour would have been the “icing on the cake” of their visit to South Africa.

It cost them about R40‚000 for the flights and luggage - including more than R6‚000 just to transport the bicycles. The couple were walking out of the Cullinan Hotel at around 7 am on Sunday morning when they were told it was cancelled.

“Judging by the videos I've seen of people starting I think it was probably the right decision. Disappointing of course‚ but that's not the only reason we came to South Africa‚” said Philip.

They were in South Africa for more than a week and it was the last thing on their list before they flew back to England on Monday.

“We've been looking forward to it for the last few months‚ especially my wife‚ she doesn't get to cycle as much as I do‚” he said.

“We booked it last April‚ so it's a little disappointing‚ but I'm glad I'm not cycling in that wind‚” said Caroline.

Philip said they knew that they wouldn't be refunded if something happened and said the costs were already incurred by the organisation of the event.

He said he didn't think it would affect the event's international reputation.

“It's not as if it happens every year‚ it's an unforeseen event‚ the winds were particularly strong‚ nothing you can do about that‚” he said adding that they would come back and try again.</s>CAPE TOWN - Nine people have lost their lives as a result of separate fires across Cape Town.

Three people, including a young boy, died after a fire broke out in their home in Philippi.

In Wesbank, an informal settlement near Kuilsriver, a family of four died in a fire that destroyed three structures.

In Imizamo Yethu, near Hout Bay, two people lost their lives after a devastating fire destroyed hundreds of structures.

The city’s Charlotte Powell says officials are ensuring all displaced residents are safe.

“Disaster management is on scene with other city services busy with rehabilitation processes. Our NGO partner, the South African Red Cross, is providing humanitarian relief. Emergency sheltering has been activated, community halls have been made available in surrounding areas.”

While relief efforts are underway to assist residents affected by a devastating fire in Imizamo Yethu, several organisations are trying to help their pets.

The fire, which broke out last night in Mandela Park, has destroyed at least 650 shacks.

The Domestic Animal Rescue Group (DARG) along with other organisations, like the SPCA and Animal Welfare Society, has rescued 70 dogs and six cats from the fire.

DARG’s facility, which is down the road from Mandela Park, is packed to capacity with frightened animals - several of whom have burn wounds.

The facility manager Ryno Engelbrecht says they're in need of food, water and kennels to house the dogs.

“We need cages to house and transport the dogs in, blankets, food and we need sterilised water for burn victims.”

The fire has since been contained and mop up operations are underway.

Affected residents will be temporarily housed in community halls on Saturday night.</s>Cape Town - The Cape Town cycle tour has been cancelled due to extreme weather conditions.

With extreme wind expected for most of the route, the organisers of the world's largest timed race have announced on Twitter that riders should not approach the start.

The route was originally shortened early on Sunday morning to 78 km due to damage to roads in certain sections along the route as well as expected protest action later in the day.

Based on consultation with all the emergency services, the Joint Operations Centre of the Cape Town Cycle Tour 2017 regrets to announce that they have had to take the unprecedented step of cancelling this year’s 40th Cycle Tour.

This is due to winds in excess of 100km/hour on parts of the route, and the need to urgently clear the roads for emergency vehicles to attend to fires.

All riders who have started on the route will be stopped at the end of the M3. They will be contained there and traffic authorities will escort them back on the M3.

David Bellairs of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust will be holding a press conference at the Southern Sun Cullinan hotel at 10:00.

For more information on the 2017 Cape Town Cycle Tour, please follow us on Facebook, twitter (@CTCycleTour) and on Instagram (@ctcycletour).</s>Cynthia Dube, Chronicle Reporter

 TEN people including a Zimbabwean man, his wife and their two children died after thousands of shacks (imikhukhu) caught fire at an informal settlement in South Africa’s Cape Town City.

Vusumuzi Nsimba (48), originally of Entumbane suburb in Bulawayo died together with his family, whose names are still to be established, on Saturday night when their shack which is located along Pleasant Street in Wesbank, caught fire.

Fire-fighters battled the blaze for more than 12 hours and ran out of water.

The informal settlement is said to be built on a slope without discernible pathways, impeding fire-fighters.

A South African police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said investigations into the cause of the fire are still in progress.

“I can confirm that cases of inquest were opened for investigation. There is a Zimbabwean family a man aged 48, woman 32- years-old and their two children aged five and three that died on March 11 when their shack caught fire,” said Ms Rwexana.

“We’re also investigating cases of six other people who died in the fire that occurred on 11 March 2017 at 00:45 — a 32 year old man, 28 year old female and a three-year-old child. There are also three unidentified victims who died after the fire broke out in the shacks, March 11 at 00:55 in Kosovo informal settlement,” she said.

The Chronicle yesterday visited Nsimba’s family in Bulawayo and his brother, Mr Godwill Nsimba, said he is still in shock about the tragedy.

He said Vusumuzi left three minor children who reside in the rural areas in Zimbabwe.

The mother of the children, he said, followed him to South Africa and found him having started the new family that perished.

“I was really shocked when I received a phone call from South Africa. I last spoke to Vusa last year and I was thinking of calling him last week. Vusa was married to Nokuthula Ncube and he left for South Africa to look for a job,” said Mr Nsimba.

“We heard that he remarried but we don’t know his wife’s name or the children’s. What I know is that he left his three children here in Zimbabwe whom he sired with MaNcube.”

Mr Nsimba told The Chronicle that funeral arrangements are still in progress.

“For now we will send a family member to go to South Africa to make funeral arrangements. Maybe that is when we will know the names of his late wife and their children.

“It’s really sad, instead of receiving groceries now we have to look for money and go to South Africa to collect their bodies,” he said.

Community leaders have said the provincial government in the neighbouring country and the City of Cape Town failed to take necessary steps to avoid the disaster, which they said was the worst since 2004.</s>Due to severe winds in Cape Town and along the route organisers have deemed it unsafe for riders and have urged all riders not to approach the start line.

Earlier on Sunday morning, the race was shortened due to unrelated protest action.

NATIONAL NEWS - The 40th edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour has been cancelled due to high winds in the Mother City, marking the first time in the event’s history that it has been called off.</s>CCTV cameras in the City of Cape Town play a negligible role in reducing crime, said Professor Jane Duncan of the Media Policy and Democracy Project at a panel discussion on privacy in South Africa. Also speaking at the event, Dale McKinley, author of a document on privacy and surveillance in South Africa, pointed to a number of areas where private information is collected about citizens, such as biometric data for social grants and CCTV surveillance systems.

Start the conversation, or Read more at AllAfrica.com.
At least nine people are killed in fires overnight in Cape Town, South Africa.