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The DA calls on the Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, to urgently establish a multi-sectoral veld fire task team to analyse the causes of recent veld fires in Danielskuil, Kuruman and Postmasburg. The task team must also look at fire-fighting response times as well as after-care provided by government.

Our request comes after a meeting with farmer’s affected by fires in Danielskuil, as well as an oversight to a farm in the Kuruman area that recently suffered extensive damage. See pics here, here and here.

The farmers we met with have suffered loss of wildlife and livestock, elimination of grazing land and damage to homes and infrastructure extending into millions of rands. Given the critical role they play in supplying the country’s food basket, they require greater all-around support from provincial government.

The DA has pinpointed four serious matters that require immediate attention from government in order to protect lives, farms, livelihoods and food security:

1. In addition to the hot, dry and windy conditions being experienced, there are concerns that many fires may have been started by a criminal element. It is essential that a broader investigation be initiated into the causal factors, especially as there has been a general uptick on arson in the province. While criminal cases have been opened, the will to speed up and finalise these cases also appears to be lacking.

2. Fire prevention methods, including the enforcement of fire breaks, by all land-related stakeholders, including land-owners, municipalities, provincial government, Sanral, Eskom, Transnet and others must be actively enforced on all parcels of land.

3. The supply of quick access to a consistent supply of resources to fight fires in a coordinated manner, needs to be improved upon. In the areas visited, there was a short supply of water and communities have been trying to get the support of the local water boards, to assist with the provision of water in times of crisis. This, however, requires greater political intervention. The time that it takes to implement aerial support must also be cut down.

4. After-care for farmers affected by the fires must be escalated. Disaster declarations must be instituted with more haste to free up resources, including financial assistance and the provision of fodder. Secondary support, in terms of blading of gravel roads and the provision of fuel subsidies, for transport and power generation, must also be implemented to help get farmers on the path to recovery.

The DA has long been pushing for a better approach to disaster prevention and disaster management in the Northern Cape and while aspects of this have improved over the years, we still have a long way to go.

We have submitted a letter to the Premier, requesting him to urgently consider our request for a veld fire task team to be established, to work with the Provincial Disaster Management Center, the South African Police Service, and all government and private stakeholders to address the root causes of the fires, come up with a swifter fire-fighting response and to ensure that disaster support is availed in as short a time possible, to all who have been affected.

Issued by Harold McGluwa, MPL - DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader