Greetings
Programme Director
Members of the media
South Africans, especially Eastern Cape citizens
Molweni.

Introduction
Our province is currently facing widespread, uncontrolled veldfires, which are destroying pastures, livestock, agricultural infrastructure, and the livelihoods of farmers. These fires primarily affect communal farmers, who rely on livestock for their sustenance and economic stability. This situation hinders our efforts to combat poverty in the province.

A recent Human Rights Commission report highlighted high levels of child malnutrition in the Eastern Cape. The ongoing destruction caused by these veldfires makes it even harder for us to tackle our challenges. It undermines our ability to implement policies aimed at addressing poverty, inequality, and unemployment. The Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) is committed to ensuring food security, reducing poverty, and fostering economic growth.

In September, we will tour the province to engage with farmer associations, understand their challenges, and discuss our strategies. We want to better understand their challenges and discuss the strategies we have in place to support them. Addressing poverty and food security requires a collective effort from government, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders. We will also collaborate with the Departments of Education, Social Development, and Health, and other relevant bodies to address food insecurity.

Currently, 414 000 households in the province face food insecurity due to high food prices, unemployment, and underutilized land. Past efforts have been fragmented and ineffective. That is why the Office of the Premier is leading a coordinated Provincial Food and Nutrition Security Plan with various departments.

We plan to launch this initiative on World Food Day, October 16, 2024. However, ongoing veldfires pose a significant challenge and are becoming an obstacle to our efforts.

Understanding Fire Risks
South Africa's ecosystems are naturally prone to fires, with alternating wet and dry seasons creating high fire risks. These risks are further intensified by urban expansion into fire-prone areas, the spread of invasive plant species, and the accumulation of dry vegetation that acts as fuel.

Consequences of Veldfires
Uncontrolled veldfires have devastating effects, especially on rural communities. Then cause loss of life, destroy property, wipe out grazing land, damage crops, , severely disrupting rural economies and threatening the livelihoods of those who are already vulnerable.

Legal Framework
The legal framework guiding fire management includes the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (No. 101 of 1998) which regulates fire management, emphasizing the need for firebreaks, notification, and the formation of Fire Protection Associations (FPAs). Additionally, the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (No. 43 of 1983) requires permission for veld burning and regulates its use in grazing areas to prevent uncontrolled fires and manage risks effectively.

Recommendations
To prevent and manage veldfires, we urge everyone to take the following precautions:

• Avoid veld burning unless part of a management strategy approved by local agriculture offices.
• Always follow the fire danger ratings and warnings issued by Weather SA.
• Establish or join the Fire Protection Associations (FPAs) with guidance and support from local agriculture offices.
• Be aware that starting uncontrolled fires is a serious criminal offense with legal consequences.
• During windy periods, avoid starting any fires, as they can easily spread out of control.
• Smokers should ensure their cigarette butts are fully extinguished before discarding them, especially when walking along roads or through dry areas.
• Never throw burning matches or lit cigarettes out of car windows or onto dry grass, as they can ignite fires quickly.

Recent Fire Incidents

Recent veldfires have severely impacted several districts in our province. These figures are continuously updated as we receive new reports of fire outbreaks, often on a daily basis.

The latest information from our officials indicates the following damage:

• Mhlontlo: Over 593 hectares of grazing land destroyed, with 171 sheep and 29 goats lost.
• KSD (King Sabata Dalindyebo): 900 hectares of grazing land burned, resulting in the death of 13 animals.
• Amahlathi: Over 550 hectares destroyed; 1 cow, 1 calf, and 2 goats perished.
• Emalahleni: 300 hectares burned, along with significant property damage, including 235 bales of lucerne.
• Intsika Yethu: 58 sheep lost to the fires.
• Elundini: 4 833 hectares of grazing land burned, with 8 cattle lost and 26 hectares of maize destroyed.

Additional Areas: Multiple wards have reported further damage, highlighting the widespread and ongoing threat these fires pose.
This situation highlights the urgent need for collective action to prevent and control these devastating veldfires.

We therefore urge all stakeholders to work together to mitigate the impact of these fires and support affected communities.
As we said in our policy speech, our primary goal is to guarantee food security in the province. Therefore, we are committed to support our people in cultivating the land, regardless of its size, to produce their own food. In this term, we aim to establish rural food hubs in our rural areas. These hubs will enable subsistence and home-based vegetable producers to collect, store, and process their produce for the local market.

The department will support communities in growing their own food through home-based gardens, improving food access and income. This initiative will focus on sustainable agriculture, water conservation, and youth entrepreneurship in rural areas. Investing in our people will reduce living costs and promote self-sufficiency thus community resilience.

We invite people of all ages, including elders, churches, schools, health facilities, and traditional leaders, to support and promote community food production. We will collaborate with the private sector to assist households in growing their own food.
These initiatives will be carefully planned, organized into projects, and implemented gradually with available resources. The Honourable Premier in his opening of parliament stated that “black farmers are not confined to subsistence or primary production level, but rather drive the development of food products for domestic and international markets”. It is for this reason that, the department has developed commercialization of the agriculture programme which seeks to support black farmers to participate in the sector value chains.

The province has adopted the Eastern Cape Agriculture Investment Framework (ECAIF) to revitalize the agriculture sector, which is often referred to as the ‘sleeping giant’ of the country. Despite having the highest livestock population, the province only contributes 8% to the country's livestock GDP. Additionally, there are over 10 000 hectares of irrigable land with water rights in irrigation schemes that have the potential to produce dairy, vegetables, fruits, grains, and fodder. However, this land is not fully utilized, and optimizing its use could greatly enhance sector performance in terms of growth and employment.

Thank you. Enkosi. Dankie. Ke a leboga.