KZN veld fires damage estimated at R90 million so far – Hlabisa

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says the fire damage in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is estimated to be worth at least R90 million.

On Wednesday, Hlabisa, joined by Deputy Minister Dickson Masemola, KZN premier Thami Ntuli, and other government officials, visited the province following devastating veld fires that recently claimed the lives of 14 people.

The minister and his team were in KZN to assess the extent of the damage in the affected areas and to meet with the families of six firefighters who tragically died over the weekend.

KZN veld fires

In a media briefing, Hlabisa expressed his appreciation for the various departments’ work in tackling the veld fires.

“We are living in the times of climate change because if it is not floods, it is fires or drought. Now, we need to be alert,” the minister said on Wednesday.

He disclosed that the initial assessment has put the cost of damage at R90 million at this stage.

“I come from uMkhanyakude [and] I received a call from home, reporting that the fire destroyed all pastures in our area, which is not included in this report. So now the preliminary report gives us a clear indicated of the extent of damage,” Hlabisa asserted.

The minister also noted that KZN, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape were frequently hit by natural disasters.

WATCH: Runaway veld fires destroyed homes in KwaZulu-Natal

Hlabisa said he would like to see cooperation among the provinces through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to address and combat these disasters.

“There is something common between the three provinces when it comes to floods. We want to get into an MOU so that whenever one of the three provinces is being affected by disaster, we are able to mobilise quickly.”

He further emphasised the challenge of often having limited resources for dealing with such incidents and expressed hope to mobilise the private sector for support.

““If you are dealing with fatigue, your reading of the winds can be limited, and you can’t relieve other people if you have limited resources. That’s why this must be urgent that the three provinces work on an MOU, which we don’t think will need any legal processes.”

These fires have not only caused the loss of cattle but have also burnt vast tracts of grazing land, this affecting the livelihoods of farmers.

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Hlabisa added that he hoped the MOU would be agreed to by all provinces and at national level.

“So that whenever there is a disaster, we have a quick response and we know who is better equipped in terms of a particular item. If you need helicopters, you know which button to press. This is what we must do in order to be ready for the future.

“[For] the Department of Agriculture, we need to start ensuring that dams are available to prepare for the drought at any time that it comes; because farmers suffer the most when drought occurs if there is no provision to harvest water on time.”

The minister concluded that the government had not yet made a decision on whether to designate KZN as a disaster area.

“By tomorrow, a decision would have been made on our side.”

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