15 Aug 2022

Property and animals worth P15 million were destroyed by veld fires in the 2021/2022 season, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng has told Parliament.

She said it was an increase in costs from the P23 350 worth of property lost the previous season. 

“We recorded a total of 631 incidents during the 2021/2022 fire season, which was an increase from the 234 experienced during the 2020/2021 fire season,” she said.

She noted that Kgalagadi region was the hardest hit with 623 846 hectares affected, followed by North West region with 501 566 hectares. She said in the Kgalagadi region, Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park was mostly affected, while Okavango was the hardest hit area in the North West region.

Ms Kereng noted that even though there were no recorded wildlife deaths, the fires affected livestock and other personal property. 

She said in the Kgalagadi region domesticated animals, which died as a result of the fires, included 168 goats, four sheep, a horse and a donkey while 25 goats were injured. She also said a house, lodge and game range were burnt by the infernos.

She said her ministry had no jurisdiction to declare a national disaster since the powers lay with the Office of the President through the National Disaster Office after considering a variety of factors. 

The ministry does not have the powers to extend drought relief services either, she said.

Kgalagadi South MP, Mr Sam Brooks had asked for an update on the outbreak of veld fires across the country and the cost of the fires. 

He further asked the minister to state the number of hectares of land affected per district and the most affected areas as well as property and animals, both domestic and wildlife, destroyed or lost.

Additionally, the MP asked about the ministry’s plan to declare the fires a national disaster and whether a consideration would be made for the extension of the Drought Relief Programme as a temporary measure to alleviate hardships experienced as a result of the fires. ends