Parliament, Thursday, 26 January 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has cautioned farmworkers and farmers in the Northern Cape not to expose themselves to extreme heat, as the province is in the grip of a heatwave for most of this week. The committee also sends condolences to the families of those farmworkers who tragically succumbed to the heat this week.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Pogiso Modise, said poor South Africans needed to be aware of the extreme weather conditions that, associated with climate change, that are likely to persist well into the future. “Ordinary people should be made aware of the extremity and frequency of these unfamiliar weather conditions. This education should encompass the means they can adopt in order to adapt better.”
He added: “Government, civil society, individual activists and the media alike should all play a meaningful role in engaging ordinary people on matters of weather variations. The reality of today’s world is that climate has changed and all possible weather extremes are a reality, and could easily result in the loss of life.”
Eight elderly people working on farms in the Northern Cape reportedly succumbed to heat stroke earlier in the week. Weather reports indicate that the heatwave is likely to continue this week.
Mr Modise urged residents in the northern interior to remain indoors and drink as much water as possible, as the Karoo can both be dry and extremely hot. “The approach needs to change, with those requiring medical attention attended to speedily. In the long run, farmers ought to take into consideration the climate change reality when they decide on what, where and how to farm.”
He said climate-change education should encompass preventative measures in the short term, with special attention also given to livestock during these trying times.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENT MR POGISO MODISE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sibongile Maputi (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour