Note to editors: The Members Statement below was delivered by the Leader of the Official Opposition Dr Roy Jankielsohn MPL during a virtual sitting of the Free State Legislature on 01 September 2023.
Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Dr Roy Jankielsohn MPL.
The annual scourge of veld fires in the Free State has a devastating impact on our farmers. These fires cause the excruciating death of hundreds of livestock, the loss of thousands of hectares of grazing and the destruction of infrastructure that has a huge financial burden on our commercial, emerging and subsistence farmers
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned by the lack of assistance rendered by most municipalities in preparation for, and during, the fire season. Some of the most serious concerns relate to the following:
- Many fires originate on municipal property and quickly spread to surrounding farms due to the lack of adequate precautionary measures such as fire breaks.
- Many municipalities do not have adequate firefighting equipment or trained personnel to deal with fires within towns, much less in rural areas where landowners have an equal responsibility as other landowners.
- Most municipalities and government departments and entities in the Free State are not even members of Fire Protection Associations, as required by all landowners. Thankfully this will be remedied in the Feld Fires Amendment Act.
Our farmers and rural communities require more assistance from local governments to fight the annual scourge of veld fires. Farmers are expected to pay land tax while receiving very little from their local governments in return. This tax has become a source of additional funds in municipalities that are subjected to gross mismanagement, fraud and corruption.
Communities, who are responsible for producing food for a growing urban population, are subjected to additional costs relating to disasters such as veld fires and crime with inadequate support from the government. They cannot continue to be regarded as cash cows for local government’s excesses.
The National Government must outline what services our farmers receive from local governments from this additional land tax that is paid to local municipalities.
The provincial government likewise has a responsibility to serve our farmers and their employees. The government can assist in mitigating the financial burdens to the agricultural sector with support in fire prevention and disaster relief immediately after the fires. Disaster funds should be adequate and be available straight after fires when feed and other assistance are required to sustain the remaining animals on farms that have been affected.
Our farmers and their employees remain vital in ensuring our food security in South Africa and that the Free State remains the food basket of our country.