Fire Erupts in Vrygrond: 38 Structures Lost, Gift of the Givers Provides Urgent Relief

• A blazing fire destroyed at least 38 informal structures in Vrygrond near Muizenburg
• The fire occurred on Monday, 29 December 2025, and left almost 60 residents displaced
• The humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers provided immediate relief to the affected residents

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

CAPE TOWN - At least 38 informal structures were destroyed in a fire that broke out in Vrygrond near Muizenburg, Western Cape, on Monday, 29 December 2025, leaving about 60 residents displaced.

Immediate relief to affected residents

According to EWN, City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell said humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers provided immediate relief to affected residents. She added that the City’s informal settlements management branch, the national Department of Human Settlements and Sassa have been notified. Powell added that the solid waste department has been activated to clear fire debris.

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The cause of the fire remains unclear. Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said firefighters extinguished the blaze at around 1 pm. He confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported and that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay told EWN that relief teams were already on the ground to assist those affected. He said that once emergency services declared the fire site safe, the organisation would immediately roll out humanitarian support, including the distribution of hot meals and bottled water to displaced residents.

Other stories about Gift of the Givers

The Mayor of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality in the Eastern Cape condemned allegations of extortionists preventing Gift of the Givers employees from delivering water to communities in Mthatha affected by the Eastern Cape floods, which killed scores of people. He said that the South African Police Service is investigating allegations of extortion. This was after the extortionists allegedly prevented employees of the non-profit organisation from delivering water in tankers to residents at a community hall in Mthatha.

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The founder of Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman, praised KwaZulu-Natal's South African Police Service Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, and South Africans agreed with him. This was after Mkhwanazi made explosive allegations about a criminal syndicate recently. Sooliman said that Mkhwanazi represents everything right in the South African Police Service by confronting organised crime.

Metro Police in Cape Town have recovered the relief packages stolen from the Gift of the Givers offices. The stolen packages, which were meant for fire victims, were recovered after Metro Police specialised teams initially made three arrests. A joint operation between multiple law enforcement agencies led to a total of 10 people being rounded up, the mayoral committee revealed.

6 Family members killed in horrific fire

Briefly News also reported that South Africans were horrified after six family members died in a shack fire in KwaThema, Ekurhuleni.

A fire spread through the shack, and a family was trapped inside, unable to escape the blaze.

Source: Briefly News