By Anita Dangazele
Veld fires, worsened by climate change, have caused severe damage in the Eastern Cape and forced many people to leave their homes.
On Saturday, villages, livestock and power lines were all in danger as firefighters struggled to control the fires.
Strong, dry winds, blowing at 80km/h, made the fires spread quickly, causing millions of rands in damage and forcing families out of their homes.
Climate change means the Earth is getting hotter because of pollution from cars, factories and livestock farming. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat.
The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history. Over time, warmer temperatures are changing weather patterns and disrupting nature’s usual balance.
This causes more droughts, floods and extreme weather in South Africa, making it harder to grow food and live safely.
Although no one has been hurt recently, the fires have been devastating. In the Mbhashe Local Municipality, many families lost their homes and animals.
In Ntsingizi village, Elliotdale, four families lost their homes to the flames with no time to save their belongings.
Community leader Lindile Cirha shared how hard it has been for those affected.
“What happened to these families is heartbreaking. One family lost two houses, and their neighbour lost one. The other families couldn’t even save their furniture. Our livestock now has nowhere to graze, which puts them at risk too,” he said.
The fires have been burning for nine days, affecting towns like Hogsback, Komani and Katberg.
The Hogsback community has been warned they may need to evacuate soon as the fires continue to spread.
Amathole District Municipality spokesperson Sisa Mwisa said: “People don’t need to leave their homes yet, but they should be ready to go at any moment.”
The fires are part of extreme weather events linked to climate change.
On Monday, the Eastern Cape Rural Development and Land Reform Department warned that the dry, windy and hot conditions are making it easy for veld fires to start and spread quickly.
The Amathole District Municipality is considering declaring a state of disaster as it continues to assess the damage, including livestock losses.
The fires are just one of several climate-related disasters hitting the province.
In Gqeberha, strong winds recently knocked down electricity pylons, leaving 13 suburbs without power for a week.
Also, on the N2 highway in Gqeberha, powerful waves have been tossing rocks across the road.
In Jeffreys Bay, residents reportedly saw what they call something that looked like a “meteor” cross over the sky.
SA Weather Service meteorologist Lelo Kleinbooi said, “There’s no official confirmation from the SA Astronomical Observatory, but I just saw that in 2021 on the 25th of August, there was a large meteor and/or meteor showers that were visible in Zimbabwe, Botswana and SA. So I don’t think it’s impossible.”
Pictured above: Homes affected by veld fires in Elliotdale.
Source: Supplied
