The late response by the Office of the Premier, to the fires that ravaged parts of the Northern Cape last night, has raised serious concern about a lack of coordination in respect of provincial disaster management. It has also highlighted a serious lack of government coordination in response to the fires.

The DA thanks all the farmers, businesses, organisations, including Working on Fire (WOF), as well as community members and fire brigades, who have banded together this past week to control widespread fires.

Last night, as we collectively fought to extinguish the fire in the Dronfield area, just outside of Kimberley, we were supported by farmers, some of whom had already been battling fires in the Northern Cape for as long as two weeks already, whilst others had come from as far afield as Limpopo. There was also an outpouring of support by people offering water, JoJo tanks, towels and even food for those fighting the fires.

While the fires have been absolutely devastating, and the losses are still being counted, it has been heart-warming to see people come together to save farms, animals, homes, lives and livelihoods.

What was glaringly absent, however, was a strong and proactive response by government to coordinate fire-fighting efforts, to avail additional resources and to ensure that there was sufficient manpower to fight the fires.

In fact, it took from 14:30 yesterday, when the DA first contacted the Office of the Premier to send back-up, until 23:30 last night, before they even sent someone to view the fires. The provincial Agriculture Department also woke up late.

Fires do not stand still, they demand immediate attention, not a lethargic response.

The DA is therefore calling on Dr Zamani Saul to see to it that all stakeholders are brought together today still, and that disaster management efforts to beat fires are coordinated. Stakeholders must include, amongst others, the Department of Agriculture, COGHSTA, the Disaster Management Centre, local municipalities and the South African Defence Force, who are well equipped and resourced to be able to fight fires. Stakeholders should also include the air services and airports. This became clear last night, when planes that were assisting with fire fighting efforts could not get immediate access to water.

In the case of the fires around Kimberley, Sol Plaatje also needs to be included. At what stage municipalities should consider postponing water shutdowns for maintenance, in the midst of disaster, must further be reviewed.

The DA wishes to emphasise the urgency of our request. While the fires seem under control for now, wind conditions remain unpredictable. It has also not yet been verified what the cause of all the fires have been, or if they are related to arson. The risk of fires flaring up again, or new fires starting, is therefore very real indeed. The protection and sustainability of the province’s rural land therefore cannot be left to chance.

The DA will continue to monitor the situation and assist where we can. Our National Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Annette Steyn, will also visit the Northern Cape and the Free State today and tomorrow, to assess the situation.

The DA once again thanks everyone who has assisted in battling the fires – it is people like you that are true assets to our province and our country, and you must not be taken for granted.

The DA will further keep all farmers and others affected, in our prayers, as we continue to pray for rain and for the safety of farmers.

 

Issued by The DA