There is no excuse for either the government or private citizens who own rural land to neglect their responsibilities for the prevention and management of wildfires and the devastation they cause.
The devastation, death and trauma resulting from a 25 000-hectare wildfire that tore through part of North West at the end of July may have been significantly reduced if government authorities had heeded requests to burn firebreaks and otherwise be compliant with the Veld and Forest Fire Act.
This is the allegation made by Eric Stoch, who chairs the North West Umbrella Fire Protection Association (NWUFPA). He tells African Farming the wildfire started at about 11am on July 29 and was contained about 17 hours later.
Volunteer firefighter Hennie Willemse (59) died of a heart attack while tackling the flames; 60 cattle, 27 pigs and “countless” wild animals died; and numerous stored feed bales, grazing areas, fences, water pipes and tanks, buildings, and farming equipment were destroyed.
Stoch says a vintage car collector in the area, Johan Grobbelaar, lost six tractors, 16 cars, a caravan, a truck and numerous spare engines and parts.
Although the fire’s exact origin and cause are still being investigated, Stock says it began in the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site and spread to adjoining property, mainly farms.
A week before the fire, North West University’s African Centre for Disaster Studies hosted a workshop to investigate the Vredefort Dome’s state of readiness for disasters, including fires. The reported consensus at the workshop was that the state and other major role-players were not compliant with relevant legislation in this regard.
Management of the Vredefort Dome falls primarily under the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment (DFFE). Provincial government departments, municipalities and other role-players are also responsible in various ways.
“Requests by the NWUFPA and by the Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association to make strategic firebreaks in and around the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site have, to date, fallen on deaf ears,” says Stoch.
“Government departments and the JB Marks Local Municipality are non-compliant with the Veld and Forest Fire Act 101 of 1998, despite numerous engagements to try to rectify the situation and to ensure compliance and the protection of our communities.”
Runaway fires caused by human negligence or deliberate intent pose significant risks to agriculture and broader society, says Stoch. Repeated wildfires can lead to extensive and compounding losses of livestock, crops and property. In turn, this affects food security, livelihoods, and the environment.
Boeta du Toit, the executive general manager of Agri North-West, says public and private landowners in rural areas should belong to a local fire protection association and comply with fire management legislation.
He is concerned by alleged non-compliance with legislation by some government departments and municipalities, and by some private landowners and users, including parastatals such the South African National Roads Agency and Transnet.
“It is not a matter of not knowing what to do. Fire protection associations and fire management legislation are clear and easily accessible,” says Du Toit.
“Wildfires are extremely devastating and have massive knock-on direct and indirect impacts that can last for years. The authorities are neglecting their responsibilities.
“There is the added problem of criminals who are deliberately setting fires. If everyone does what they are supposed to do and works together, the spread and damage and impacts of all wildfires can be significantly reduced.”The DFFE and JB Marks Local Municipality said they would send African Farming their responses to the allegations raised by the NWUFPA. These responses will be published when they are provided.
