GOOD Statement by Roscoe Palm ,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
19 May 2025
BURNED, BUT NOT BROKEN: URGENT APPEAL FROM CISSIE GOOL HOUSE RESIDENTS
In the early hours of this morning, tragedy struck at Cissie Gool House when a fire broke out in one of the wings, displacing approximately 50 residents. While the community acted swiftly and bravely to contain the blaze, their efforts were gravely hampered by the lack of easy access to essential fire safety equipment.
This is not the first fire at Cissie Gool House. It is, however, another painful reminder of the City of Cape Town’s continuing failure to acknowledge and address the existence of this community, made up of workers, pensioners, schoolchildren, and families who have reclaimed dignity in the face of exclusion. They are not invisible. They are not “hijackers.” They are residents. Taxpayers. Human beings.
The fire was extinguished by Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services, but flared up again later, with its cause still under investigation. What is clear, however, is that the ongoing absence of basic safety infrastructure is a direct result of negligence. The City cannot ignore this any longer.
As winter settles in, the time for action is now. GOOD calls on Disaster Management to urgently intervene to provide trauma relief, and basic supplies to those affected, especially vulnerable residents like the elderly, women, and children who now face the cold with no bedding, no warm clothing, and no homes.
This disaster did not have to happen. Cissie Gool House, formerly Woodstock Hospital, has been a vital refuge for those displaced by systemic housing failure and gentrification of the area. For years, the residents have requested constructive engagement from the City, only to be met with silence, hostility, and threats of removal.
The City’s refusal to acknowledge their reality not only deepens the housing crisis, it actively endangers lives. When a community is denied legal recognition, it is also denied services. Denied safety. Denied dignity. Today, we see the cost of that denial in burnt possessions and broken homes.
Residents urgently appeal to the public for donations to help them rebuild:
• Mattresses, blankets, pillows, bedding
• Warm clothing for all ages
• Toiletries (soap, toothpaste, sanitary products)
• Dry food and fresh ingredients (rice, pasta, vegetables)
• Cooking gas
• Drop sheets and corrugated iron for emergency repairs
Drop-off Location:
Cissie Gool House (formerly Woodstock Hospital)
We thank those who continue to support this resilient and courageous community. We call on the City to act – not with evictions, but with empathy. This is a time for solidarity.
Media Enquiries:media@forgood.org.za