KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, accompanied by EDTEA MEC Rev Musa Zondi, COGTA MEC Rev Thulasizwe Buthelezi, Finance MEC Francois Rodgers, Sport, Arts, and Culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula, Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, eThekwini Mayor Cllr Cyril Xaba, eThekwini Deputy Mayor Cllr Zandile Myeni, and representatives from various NPOs, visited the Kenville Informal Settlement, which was ravaged by fire on Saturday night. The devastating blaze destroyed over 100 shacks, affected 300 people, and tragically led to one fatality.
In a press conference held on Monday morning, Premier Ntuli expressed great sorrow and sadness as he provided an update on the catastrophic disaster that had engulfed the province. Over the past two weeks, KwaZulu-Natal had been battling unprecedented and devastating wildfires that destroyed property, affected many lives and livelihoods, and devastated subsistence and commercial farmers.
Since the beginning of July, disaster teams had been responding to sporadic veld fire incidents in different communities across the province, fanned by strong winds. This left a trail of destruction, claimed lives, and left some families without a roof over their heads. Subsistence farmers suffered immensely as grazing lands were burnt to ashes, and livestock and animals in some game reserves were destroyed by the fires.
Premier Ntuli urged the Kenville community to work with the provincial government to create a safer environment and rebuild. He also committed to finding land for proper housing for the community. He emphasised the government's efforts in providing relief, noting that the provincial disaster management teams, emergency and fire rescue services, and social partners had been on the ground since the start of the month, providing relief and profiling those affected.
The fires left a significant impact on the province. Over the last two weeks, the wildfires claimed 14 lives and seriously injured 25 people, who are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals. On Sunday, six firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty while responding to a veld fire in the area of Boston towards Bulwer in uMngeni Local Municipality. These brave workers, employed by Farmusa Contracting, a contractor to Sappi Forests, were trapped by the uncontrollable fires on the Sterling Farm, adjacent to the Sappi Pinewoods plantation.
The incident occurred while teams were responding to other fatal incidents in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, where families buried their loved ones over the weekend. Fires affected uMfolozi, uMlalazi, Mthonjaneni, and Nkandla municipal areas.
KwaZulu-Natal is still reeling from several recent disasters, including the floods of 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as recent storms and a tornado that hit several District Municipalities, with uThongathi areas in eThekwini being hardest hit. The estimated cost of the June 3rd storms was R 2.3 billion.
The wildfires affected over 3,491 people, with 403 houses completely destroyed and 340 partially damaged. King Cetshwayo District Municipality was heavily hit, with 214 houses completely destroyed and 117 partially damaged. The fires also damaged key infrastructure, such as electricity and water supply, and severely impacted the agricultural and forestry sectors, burning thousands of hectares of grazing land, forestry, and sugarcane. Approximately 1,069 animals were lost, with most of these in the Harry Gwala District Municipality, and 19,121 hectares of grazing land were burnt.
In response to these disasters, the government, through the Provincial Disaster Management Relief Material, distributed food parcels, blankets, plastic sheeting, foam mattresses, fire beaters, and knapsack sprayers. In the eThekwini area, following the Kenville Informal Settlement fire, the provincial and eThekwini Metro governments provided two marquees, a soup kitchen, a clinic on site, and mobile ablution facilities. The Department of Social Development is conducting assessments to provide social welfare services.
Due to the magnitude and frequency of disasters, the province, through COGTA, is financially constrained in providing the required relief to affected communities. The heavy rains, tornadoes, and fire incidents from April to July 2024 have consumed the relief budget for the year. The Provincial Disaster Management Centre and municipalities are conducting damage assessments to determine the extent of the damage caused by the recent runaway fires, and additional budget is required for immediate humanitarian and livestock feed relief.
The Executive Council held a special meeting on 15 July 2024 to deliberate on the fire disasters and resolved to seek classification of a provincial disaster from the National Disaster Management Centre. The council also urged the police to thoroughly investigate the causes of the wildfires, suspecting acts of sabotage and criminality, and called on traditional leaders to play a critical role in addressing the scourge in their localities.
Premier Ntuli commended social partners for helping affected families and emphasised the need for communities to exercise extreme caution when using fire. He called upon civil society, the private sector, and citizens to donate clothing, household goods, and furniture to those in need during this dark hour.
"We urge our people not to start fires in open areas, dispose of cigarettes responsibly, and never leave paraffin stoves, candles, or izimbawula unattended. Let us all play our role in keeping our community safe," said Premier Ntuli.