Eshowe runaway fires under control amid destruction

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The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says the fires in Eshowe, Northern KZN and surrounding areas have now been contained.

Runaway fires which started on Sunday have left a trail of destruction leaving many homes destroyed, livestock killed and other infrastructure damaged.

One person has been confirmed dead. COGTA spokesperson Nonala Ndlovu says the cause of the fire remains unclear.

“In terms of the information on the farms we don’t have the exact numbers but we do know that farms in the Kokstad area were also affected by the fires and a lot of produce was actually lost during that time. We’re not sure of the number of livestock because the assessments are still ongoing. But we do know that there is a huge loss that has happened. The department of Agriculture is on the ground as we speak working with farmers to assess the damage and give us the exact figures in terms of the livestock and in terms of the farms that have been affected.”

Ndlovu says the resources of government are extremely strained given that the province is still trying to recover from last month’s tornado in oThongathi which left 12 people dead and millions of rands in damage to infrastructure.

“We are still dealing with the matter of oThongathi although the different departments have now taken up their responsibilities and they are providing to the communities as they are mandated according to the work that they do as departments. This is putting a severe strain on the resources of government. Because as we know the fiscus is already strained even as we speak. But we are working with the social partners to make sure that the communities that are affected do get assistance that will make them able to continue with their lives,” Ndlovu explains.

The Umlalazi Local Municipality in Eshowe, northern KwaZulu-Natal, says one person has died in a wildfire that started on Sunday night. Over 80 homes were damaged in the area.https://t.co/9VsVd59frc pic.twitter.com/x87JdT7gZS

— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 9, 2024