KwaZulu-Natal
29 June 2007
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Mtholephi
Mthimkhulu, MPL, has received the preliminary assessment report on the extent
of damage caused by raging fires in different areas of KwaZulu-Natal
Midlands.
This follows the dispatching of a high level managerial team consisting of
senior departmental officials to conduct damage assessment in different areas
of the Midlands which were ravaged by raging fires late last week and earlier
in the week.
The departmental officials visited several areas including commercial farms
and communal farms as well as residential areas to assess the extent of
damage.
The preliminary assessment report has thus far indicated the following:
* most of the damage took place in the Umngeni, Msunduzi and Impendle local
municipalities within the uMgungundlovu District Municipality.
The areas that were hardest hit are Mafakathini and Maswazini (which are
basically communal residential areas). The following farming areas were also
hardest hit by the fire: Yerrow, Curries Post and Karkloof, Fort Nottingham and
Impendle and lastly the Mid-Illovo area.
At the time of the incident of fire, the weather was warm with gale force
winds which contributed to the raging fires jumping fire breaks and roads.
In the Mafakathini and Maswazini areas in near Landskop almost 1 990
hectares of forest land were destroyed as well as communal land. Two houses
were also razed to ground at Taylor's Halt.
In the Yarrow and Karkloof areas more than 5 000 hectares of forest land
were destroyed. Five households belonging to labour tenants were also destroyed
by fire. More than five commercial farmers were affected:
* in the Curries Post and Karkloof areas more than 35 000 hectares of forest
land were destroyed
* in addition more than 5 000 hectares of grazing pastures and maize crops were
also destroyed
* about 25 households belonging to farm workers were also destroyed
* about 18 farm homesteads were also destroyed together with a mushroom farm
and a vegetable farm
* in this area more than 80 commercial farmers were affected and in addition
more than 8 000 farm workers were also affected
* some livestock and game were also trapped in the raging fire resulting in the
death of some animals
* the fire affected several infrastructural services including electricity,
telephones, water supply systems
* several people had to be evacuated from their houses.
In the Fort Nottingham and Impendle areas several homesteads were razed to
ground by fire and there were two deaths (a fireman and a fire engine driver).
Several thousands of timber and communal land were also destroyed by fire and
there was also a loss of livestock.
In the Mid-Illovo more than 4 000 hectares of sugar cane and timber
plantations were destroyed by fire. Organised agriculture has estimated the
damage caused by fire thus far to be over a billion rand.
MEC Mthimkhulu will today, Friday, 29 June 29 2007, visit all the fire
stricken areas to have a first hand assessment of the extent of the damage.
He will then meet the affected farmers and representatives of organised
agriculture to brief them on the steps that the Department of Agriculture and
Environmental Affairs will be taking to respond to the fire disaster.
The MEC will meet the farmers at Karkloof Country Club at 11h30 on Friday,
29 June 2007 and will thereafter host a press briefing.
For enquiries please contact:
Mbulelo Baloyi
Cell: 082 415 7277
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs,
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
29 June 2007
