27 June 2007
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Mtholephi
Mthimkhulu (MPL) today Wednesday, 27 June dispatched 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 in the
past week.
The departmental officials would visit all areas including commercial farms
and communal farms as well as residential areas to assess the extent of damage.
MEC Mthimkhulu said he was concerned about the detrimental effect the fire
damage had caused on both organised agriculture and subsistence communal
farmers.
"I have been in constant liaison with the leadership of organised
agriculture in the province and it has briefed me on the damage that has been
caused by the raging fires. I have instructed senior managers of the department
to go out and assess the damage so that I would have a clear picture of the
severity of the problem," said Mthimkhulu.
The MEC said he was aware that thousands of livestock and several hundreds
of grazing land had been destroyed when runaway fires exacerbated by strong
gale-force winds engulfed several areas in the Midlands and northern
KwaZulu-Natal. "So far the damage has been estimated to be in the region of R1
billion as it includes several homesteads, livestock, dwellings of farmhands,
huge tracts of timber plantation as well as winter feed supplies."
MEC Mthimkhulu said he would also like to express his department's deepest
condolences to the families and relatives of the driver of the fire-engine and
the fireman who died in the Fort Nottingham area on Monday while trying to put
out the fire.
He said the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs working with
the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's Working for Fire Programme would
be assessing the damage before consulting with other relevant departments such
as Provincial Local Government Department and the Disaster Management Units of
the affected District and Local Municipalities.
"We are quite aware that suggestions have been made that we declare some of
the affected areas as Disaster Areas. Prior to considering that, we have to
satisfy ourselves on the extent of the damage and we will be guided by the
reports based on the assessments done by our officials," said Mthimkhulu.
The MEC, once again, made an appeal to the larger communities in the rural
areas of the province to be very cautious when they make fire-breaks during
this fire season. "We urge our people to seek assistance from competent
agencies such as their local fire brigade so that fire-breaks could be done in
a controlled manner thus prevent the possibility of runaway fires getting out
of control," said Mthimkhulu.
He said the department's comprehensive response to the fire damage will be
announced in due course once he has studied the assessment reports done by the
department's officials.
For enquiries please contact:
Mbulelo Baloyi
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 082 415 7277
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs,
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
27 June 2007
Source: SAPA
