Lekwa Fire Protection Association addresses safety hazards at dumping site

The Lekwa Fire Protection Association (FPA) held a special meeting on July 25 to discuss the current fire safety hazard around the dumping site.

Many prominent figures attended the meeting, including FPA representatives, the municipality, the contractors in charge of the dumping site, farmers whose land borders the dumping site and Kasselman Security Services.

The group discussed the farmers’ challenges and offered many solutions to alleviate the damage caused due to the site’s location.

One of the main issues the FPA highlighted at the meeting was the burning heap near the dumping site’s fence.

“It never stops burning,” said Frans-Awie Vermaak, the chairperson and FPA assistant.

The group agreed that the best action would be to extinguish the heap as soon as possible. The following step is to ban people on the grounds from making fires.

The Lekwa Municipality is working on ‘no burning’ signboards it will add to the premises. The group also agreed that the illegal residents on the dumping site caused problems related to the fires.

Vermaak said these residents light fires to stay warm at night and to cook and do not extinguish them correctly.

The solution offered to ensure safety in light of this problem is for Kasselman Security and the police to regularly visit the dumping site to remove these illegal residents and ensure they will not return.

The dumping site representatives also agreed to fix the holes in the fence to ensure the main gate is the only access point.

Registers will be regularly checked to ensure every person who enters the dumping site has a legitimate reason and does not stay beyond closing time.

ALSO CHECK: Suspected serial killer from eMbalenhle disputes DNA results

Furthermore, the site’s representatives agreed to give the security guards at the entrance gate formal training to act as first responders in case of fire emergencies.

André du Plessis, a farmer whose lands border the dumping site and who has suffered damage because of all the problems at the dumping site, said: “I am relieved to see measures being taken to prevent any further damage to my farm and those around me.

“The dumping site has been a great cause of concern for many years, and hopefully, with co-operation from all the parties involved, fire safety on the dumping site will be enforced.”

The farmers whose lands surround the area all agreed to extend helping a hand wherever possible to have these problems resolved quickly.