Tara Isaacs|Published 2 hours ago
The latest fire at 3 Justin Street in Brooklyn on Wednesday has prompted residents to once again call for the demolition of dilapidated council-owned properties along the street, which they claim have become a hotspot for drug users, sex workers and alleged gang activity.
Several informal structures were destroyed and an abandoned dwelling was partially damaged in the blaze.
According to Lenita Marnaville, who said the City of Cape Town had given her and her brother, Craig Kronè permission to live on the property, at least five informal dwellings had been erected on the site.
Marnaville said a candle being used to provide light inside one of the structures fell over, sparking the fire.
She said the property has no water connection, leaving those living there with little option but to watch as the flames spread until firefighters arrived.
Jermaine Carelse, City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, said the incident was reported at 8:40pm.
“The first crew arrived at 20:53pm and the fire was extinguished at 10:10pm,” said Carelse.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, but 11 people were displaced, he said.
“Two fire engines and a water tanker attended the scene, with 12 firefighters from Milnerton, Salt River and Brooklyn fire stations.”
Carelse said the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Four informal structures were destroyed and one abandoned dwelling was partially damaged, he said.
The latest fire is not the first blaze to hit the property. A fire also broke out at 3 Justin Street on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025, adding to residents’ concerns about the ongoing conditions at the site.
Residents say the latest fire highlights their concerns about the condition and alleged activities taking place at the properties.
The property at 3 Justin Street has been dubbed the “house of horrors” by some residents, who claim it has become a well-known hangout for gangsters and drug users.
They say the activity poses a threat to people walking through the area, including residents visiting shops along nearby Koeberg Road.
A Brooklyn resident, who asked not to be named due to fears of victimisation, said “bad elements” were hanging out at the property.
The concerns are not new, he said.
But Kronè said that there are only a handful of complaints, while other residents bring them food and they wash their cars in return.
Also living at the property is Sharon Koetze, who said she lost all of her belongings in the blaze, and anyone willing to assist with donations to “rebuild her life,” can contact her on 067 223 5949.
In 2024, the body of a homeless man was found at the property.
At the time, community activist Fay Vogel said the Justin Street properties, including numbers 3, 5 and 7, had been a problem for several years.
She said repeated calls to the City to demolish the buildings had been ignored.
The Cape Argus sister publication, Tabletalk, was copied into emails Vogel sent to the City on October 5, 2024, in which she asked City officials to visit the area and explain why the municipality was reluctant to demolish the buildings.
The City previously denied giving anyone permission to live at 3 Justin Street, saying the house had been boarded-up several times and eviction notices had been served on people occupying the property.
The City is yet to respond to Tabletalk’s latest questions regarding residents’ calls for the Justin Street properties to be demolished.
This is a developing story.