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- A fire has destroyed thousands of hectares of farmland in the Free State, killing game and livestock.
- The fire was reportedly started during a protest over the provision of services in Tokologo Township.
- A farmer suffered third degree burns and is currently in hospital.
A fire has destroyed about 100,000 hectares of farmland around Hoopstad, Christina and Hertzogville in the Free State.
Hundreds of game and cattle have been lost in the fire, according to an estimate by the Free State Agricultural Organization.
The fire was one of the worst seen in recent years, said the organization’s operations manager, Jack Armor.
“In some situations, cattle ran up to seven farms to escape the fire,” Armor added. “Although there was no loss of life, we are aware of the farmers who have suffered serious burns and we wish them a speedy recovery.”
The fire was reportedly started during a protest over the provision of services on Monday.
According to a statement from FF Plus, protesting Tokologo residents set fire to a water tank, causing fires out of control.
“Commercial and emerging farmers in the area already suffered severe losses before the fires due to the long drought and the current poor economic climate. These farmers will not be able to recover from the millions of rand of damage caused by the fires to their own. without government help, “said FF Plus provincial leader Jan van Niekerk.
Police spokesman Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said JoJo tanks were damaged and 17 people appeared in Hertzogville Magistrates Court Tuesday for public violence and intentional property damage.
Eleven were detained on Sunday and the rest were detained on Monday.
“They were all granted bail of 1,000 rand each … Seven of them could not afford it and had to remain in custody pending their next court appearance on Thursday 5 November,” Makhele added.
A farmer was admitted to the hospital with third degree burn injuries after trying to control the flames, according to Netwerk24. It is understood that he is in critical condition in the hospital.
According to Armor, dry and windy conditions over the weekend contributed to the spread of the fires.
He said they are currently under control, but added that the western parts of the province were still at risk due to the current heat wave.
Local police were investigating a case of arson, Armor added. This has not been confirmed by Free State Police at the time of publication.
“We cannot allow the lives of farmers and agricultural workers to be more endangered under current circumstances as a result of criminal activities, such as arson,” he said.
The organization was inspecting the damage, but at this stage it appeared that food donations, in particular, were a serious need, Armor added.
Calls for donations of feed and funding to help farmers affected by the fire.
Donors can contact [email protected] or 051 444 4609.
