07 Oct 2025

Low level of community participation in extinguishing wildfires worries district commissioner.

Speaking during an emergency kgotla meeting convened by the district commissioner’s office to find lasting solutions to the persistent fire outbreaks, Hukuntsi District commissioner, Ms Veronica Rabakane urged residents to take collective responsibility in combating the disaster.

She said while the Department of Forestry and Range Resources was mandated to protect the environment, it was not solely responsible for putting out fires.

“The Department of Forestry and Range Resources is not the only one mandated to put out wildfires. As a community, we need to take responsibility, cooperate and unite during these challenging times,” she said. 

Ms Rabakane noted that wildfires had been reported in several areas including Hukuntsi, Lokgwabe, Kgainyane, Nxaa, Ukwi, and Mabuasehube, adding that the situation required immediate and coordinated intervention.

Ms Rabakane stressed that community participation and upholding the spirit of self-reliance was vital especially to farmers who were among the hardest hit by the fires.

Ms Rabakane also expressed disappointment that perpetrators of wildfires often went unidentified, urging residents to assist in reporting such cases to relevant authorities.

“Government alone cannot manage this problem. There is a strong need for public education and sensitisation so that together we can prevent these fires,” she added.

For his part, Kgosi Merapelo Tshweneyagaee of Hukuntsi reiterated with Ms Rabakane’s sentiments that all needed to play an active role in helping extinguish veldt fire in their area.

Even though, Kgosi Tshweneyagae commended the Department of Forestry and Range Resources for their tireless efforts in combating the fires, he said the department’s resources alone were insufficient to manage the crisis.

He said collective action was the only way to curb the spread of fires. 

“We need to come together as a community, brainstorm, and find sustainable ways to remedy this situation. The fires affect us all, and we must take responsibility to protect our environment and livelihoods,” he urged.

Kgosi Tshweneyagae further expressed concern over the increasing number of fire outbreaks, which had been reported.

Likewise, he said veldt fires posed a serious threat to both farming and tourism, which were the district’s main economic pillars and further warned that continued destruction could have lasting effects on livelihoods and economy.

“Our district depends heavily on farming and tourism, and these fires put both sectors at great risk. We are under an unpleasant attack of wildfires, and the situation is devastating,” he said.

For their part, residents called for the reinstatement of mophato as a way of encouraging youth participation. 

They also advised on the need to conduct public education in all the villages and to ensure that there was a focal person, who would lead in mobilising community to participate in extinguishing veldt fires. ENDS