KZN to accelerate response to those affected by wildfires

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The spokesperson for the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Ndabezinhle Sibiya has announced several accelerated interventions to assist KwaZulu-Natal residents affected by recent wildfires.

The wildfires, reported yesterday, caused widespread destruction, displacing many people and leaving them without homes. The department had received preliminary information regarding the destruction of homes in multiple areas.

Sibiya states that the MEC has assigned a team led by the head of the department to gather more detailed information on the affected areas.

“There are quite a number of interventions that will be speeded up, for instance, the emergency housing unit within the Department of Human Settlement nationally. We will actually be working with the province to ensure that there are emergency interventions that are speeded up. There is also an indication that there are alternative houses using the latest technology that must be brought into the affected communities,” Sibiya said.

Additionally, the department has taken steps to educate communities on fire management.

“We are bringing in more communities, such as the KZN water protection association. Also going to various communities to train more communities on how to manage these fires. We know there are fires that would ordinarily come out of the natural reserves, we’ve got fires that are in areas such as the commercial plantations. And we are saying to communities, they must not start fires without having to access the fire danger index and they must not leave fires unattended,” Sibiya added.