Parliament, Saturday, 22 October 2022 – The residents who came from different communities in the Overberg District Municipality to participate in the public hearings on the National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill that were conducted by the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment today in Hermanus, appealed to the committee that the Bill should recognise their right to conduct their traditional practices like circumcision which also uses the burning of fire.
They told the committee that the practice of burning fire in forests and on the mountain is part of their ancestral heritage and culture and it can’t be simply wished away. They argued that these practices and rituals are enshrined in the Constitution. Furthermore, they said these practices define who they are and aspire to be and should therefore be recognised as that which underpin their collective identities, their right to self-determination, culture, belief and religion
The Bill seeks to, among other things, improve the administration of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act to ensure that it is responsive in reducing the incidents of veld and forest fires nationally. It seeks to achieve this by amending six broad key focus areas that are aimed at, among others, facilitating the establishment of fire protection associations; compelling municipalities that own land to join these associations, and to afford them powers to search, seize and arrest those whose acts may contribute to the eruption of veld and forest fires.
Farmers told the committee that the fires that erupted in January and February this year and which led to the burning of vast tracts of farms, was due to the neglect of the national government in coming up with interventions that could regulate indigenous practices on mountains and forests that involve the burning of fire.
They said indigenous people in the Overberg live on mountains and forests and they often make fire to cook and to conduct their traditional practices. But unfortunately, during dry summer seasons in these areas fires flare up. Farmers said the national government should address this deficiency by having fire protection personnel and mechanisms in these traditional areas.
Despite the concerns the participants raised during the hearings, the Bill was supported by an overwhelming majority of participants in Hermanus. Participants came from different communities in the Overberg District Municipality. They included farmers, firefighters and residents.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Faith Muthambi, commended the contribution of all participants and stated that their input will assist the committee during its deliberations on the Bill. She said these public hearings are a lesson that will assist the committee in advancing its constitutional mandate of passing legislation.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENT, MS FAITH MUTHAMBI.
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