With veldfire season approaching, government spheres must fulfil their obligations, says AfriForum

Soundbite: Tarien Cooks (English)

Klankgreep: Tarien Cooks (Afrikaans)

AfriForum warns that the upcoming veldfire season poses a serious risk to communities, infrastructure, livestock and even human lives, especially due to the dense vegetation caused by recent rains. The civil rights organisation calls on local and provincial government spheres to urgently fulfil their obligations in terms of the Veld and Forest Fires Act 101 of 1998 – specifically with regard to the making of firebreaks.

According to this legislation, it is mandatory for landowners, including state institutions, to limit risks through preventive measures. This includes creating firebreaks where the risk of veldfires are high. Yet this obligation is often ignored, especially by local governments and municipalities, exposing communities and farmers to wildfires that cause millions of rands of damage annually.

“We are heading towards disaster if this lack of equipment and preparation is not urgently addressed. Every year we see that veldfires are spreading faster, burning more intensely and causing greater damage. Without adequate equipment, planning and preparation on the part of government, community organisations are relied upon to extinguish the fires,” says Tarien Cooks, Disaster Management Specialist at AfriForum.

Earlier this year, several investigations revealed that the metros in Gauteng do not have sufficient or suitable vehicles to effectively combat veldfires. In many cases, there are no vehicles available or those that are available are designed for urban firefighting and not suitable for rural terrain and forest areas. As a result, AfriForum branches and local fire protection associations (FPAs) have to step in to help control fires – despite the fact that this is not their primary responsibility.

AfriForum urgently calls on all spheres of government to complete their risk assessments and establish firebreaks as required by law. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which is responsible for fire services in South Africa, must press for the shortage of firefighting equipment to be urgently allocated in the new budgets of provincial and local governments.

Communities are encouraged to join local AfriForum branches and fire protection associations to ensure cooperation and preparedness. Visit www.wordlid.co.za for more information.