Lives are going to be lost along the Lesotho border. The farmers are at breaking point, for they live in the daily fear that their farms and families will be the next target of arsonists.
Vida Booysen
This is the warning from Dr Jane Buys, safety risk analyst for Free State Agriculture (FSA), after the deadliest incident of arson occurred on Wednesday night at a border farm in the Boesmanskop area near Wepener and Zastron.
This brings the number of wildfires that have occurred in the area in the past four days to eight.
In the videos (below), taken by a border farmer early Thursday morning, 17 July, the fire damage on his farm can be seen.
“The farmers are defenceless, and I have complete understanding and empathy for them – and especially for their wives and children. It is terrifying to wait night after night for arson, to fight the fires, and then to continue farming the next day, with little or no sleep. It can’t go on like this,” says Buys.
All the fires were started within a 20 km radius in the Boesmanskop area, presumably by citizens of Lesotho.
According to Gerard Jordaan, a farmer in the area, the citizens of Lesotho are under the misconception that the field should be burned down to ensure new, green pasture after the first rain. “They then chase their livestock across the border to graze on South African farms, which is illegal,” he says.
Escalating Crisis Overwhelms Border Farmers
In a statement, FSA expressed its concern about the ongoing problem of these wildfires on farms along the Lesotho border, which are believed to have been set deliberately by citizens of Lesotho.
“It’s not just about economic losses, but also about safety and survival. Border farmers face huge losses, trauma and danger every year,” says Buys.
Last year, these farmers had to combat 57 fires within two months, allegedly maliciously started by Basotho, she says.
Government Response Falls Short As Access Roads Fail
FSA has already made an urgent request to Elzabe Rockman, Free State MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Jabu Mbalula, MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport and his Department, as well as South Africa’s Armed Forces and the Police, to liaise with their officials in Lesotho.
Moreover, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the team at Work with Fire (WoF) in Vanstadensrus cannot assist the border farmers because the border road is completely impassable. So, it is impossible for emergency vehicles and equipment to reach the affected areas.
Buys says this problem was pointed out to two MECs last year when they visited the border area.
“These fires – and the larger context of the border crimes – confirm that the government and its structures are letting the border farmers down. They have to take care of their own safety, fight fires, maintain roads and still produce food,” she says.
Urgent Calls For Border Infrastructure Repair
FSA calls on the Minister of Public Works to give urgent priority to the restoration of the border road. “Without access to the border, the fires can get out of control and even lead to loss of life,” says Buys.
Dr Jack Armour, commercial manager of FSA, meanwhile, advises all farmers to be on high alert in the approaching wildfire season and to actively engage with their local fire protection associations.
