COVID-19 a Year Later

WOFIRESaving Lives Protecting the Environment NEWS Restoring Dignity VOLUME 9 EDITION 12 MARCH 2021 Working on Fire Working on Fire - WOF TV News Channel @wo_fire DEPUTY MINISTER HIGHLIGHTS ROLE WOF PLAYS NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY The Department of Environment, The Working on Fire Bloemfon- Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) tein Team conducted a clean-up of hosted a back-to-school pro- the school premises in preparation gramme at Kagisano Combined for the visit from the Deputy Min- School in Soutpan, Free State. ister. The team conducted WOF’s DEFF Deputy Minister, Ms Mag- much-sought-after Integrated Fire gie Sotyu, attended the event Management exercises. and donated school supplies, Ms Sotyu commended the work including desktop computers, done at the school by the WOF sanitary towels, waste bins, school Bloemfontein Team to those in shoes and bags containing sta- attendance and explained the im- tionery, face masks and hand portant role the WOF Programme sanitisers. plays at a global and national level. Ms Sotyu also donated gar- The Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Maggie Sotyu, Wayne Mokhethi, Free State dening equipment and seedlings hands out various items during the back-to-school programme during a tree-planting ceremony. Provincial Communication Officer COVID-19 A Year Later WOF MD Trevor Abrahams The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on our lives, the economy of the country and indeed on the world. The Working on Fire Programme has not been spared by the pandemic. However, we were very fortunate that on 19 March 2020, eight days before the National Lockdown, we convened our first National COVID-19 Incident Command Committee to map out our response to this threat. had to go in quarantine and isolation, for avoiding infection, namely: wearing these statistics are a testament to all In these meetings, held regularly and we have constantly updated our a mask in public, keeping a social the protocols we adopted so early throughout the pandemic, WOF Man- messaging in terms of what we need to distance and sanitising ourselves and in the pandemic, as well as to the agement mapped out a strategy and a do to prevent and mitigate the impact our environment. behaviour, support and high level course of action on how we can miti- of this disaster. of cooperation we have seen from gate the impact of this pandemic. We are not immune from the everybody within WOF. WOF fully operational during pandemic As we face the prospect of the Support to those in the pandemic A total of 1 025 WOF employees were third wave, I appeal to all our WOF isolation and quarantine WOF was designated as an emergency tested for the virus over the past employees to adhere to the COVID-19 We have been very fortunate that service and, as such, continued to func- year, with 72 % (743) of them testing protocols and stand together to try our collective effort has kept our tion throughout the pandemic. We negative. A total of 250 employees and prevent this virus from coming company safe throughout this pe- continue to stress the need to remain tested positive and sadly, we lost one into our company, into their families riod. We have supported those who vigilant and retain the key messages employee during this period. I believe and among their colleagues. An Expanded Public Works Programme implemented by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries: WORKING ON FIRE Page 01 WOF Western Cape assisted at 26 fires during February Working on Fire Western Cape deployed from the Overberg fire services, was its aerial and ground resources to play unfortunately recorded, along with two a key role in assisting fire suppression injuries. operations at 26 fires in the province. WOF’s aerial resources flew for The Overberg District was hit the 196 hours and the Hottentots Holland, hardest, with large fires raging for Kleinmond and Walker Bay teams were multiple days and even spreading to the busiest, even spending some nights other regions. on the fire line. Of the 26 fires, 12 were suppressed A total of 16 835 hectares of vegeta- in the Overberg, included at Grabouw, tion was burned. Boesmanskloof and Brandrivier, with The WOF Kleinmond Team was one of the busiest teams in February the latter ravaging the mountains around Limakatso Khalianyane, Western Cape Provincial Communication Officer Barrydale. One fatality, a firefighter Fires keep Eastern Cape Gauteng teams reduce firefighters busy the risk of fires Working on Fire Gauteng teams The Western region of Working on Fire are busy doing fuel load reduction Eastern Cape is currently in the last leg and alien plants removal across the of the summer fire season and teams province. were kept busy with fires that raged In the Dinokeng Nature Reserve, for days. the team is clearing the grass to pre- More than 60 firefighters from vent fires occurring along the electric six teams, together with WOF aerial fence during the fire season. resources, assisted the MTO, Eastern “The rangers use the roads along Cape Umbrella, Sarah Baartman West and the fence. Therefore, it is vital we clear Southern Cape Fire Protection Associa- out any obstacle, including fuel,” says tions to suppress two fires inH uisklip and Assistant Project Manager Thabo Mdala firefighters do manual fuel load Stinkhoutberg. Moreba. reduction WOF Eastern Cape General Manager, In the Roodeplaat Nature Reserve, Working on Fire Eastern Cape teams Phumza Dyantyi, applauded the young conduct Integrated Fire Management the team is busy removing alien nature reserve to reduce the spread men and women who worked day services invasive plants like Pompom because of veld fires. and night to fight these fires for seven they threaten vegetation, grazing land “We protect the fauna and flora days, with the Stinkhoutberg fire only preventative measures such as firebreaks and the wetlands. in the reserve and it feels good to contained on the seventh day. and stack burns in preparation for the Crew Leader Ntebo Kwenaite says conserve the environment,” says Crew While the Western teams are ex- winter fire season. that the alien plants they are removing Leader Jonas Matlala. periencing a busy summer fire season, grew a lot during the off-season. the rest of the Eastern Cape teams have Nthabiseng Mokone, Eastern Cape The WOF Abe Bailey Team did Parapara Makgahlela, Gauteng Provincial Communication Officer Provincial Communication Officer been hard at work implementing fire manual fuel load reduction at the KZN teams prepare for WOF Modimolle Team the winter fire season shows impressive work rate As the winter fire season approaches, Working on Fire KwaZulu-Natal conducted various Integrated Fire Management activities to ensure the safety of community members, property and firefighters. The WOF Albert Falls Team constructed a firebreak along the fence of the Albert Falls Dam Nature Reserve, which is not only a water resource but also home to indigenous wild animals. The eThekwini Team conducted fuel load reduction at the Augusta Ridge site. They have slashed six hectares and will continue performing Integrated Fire Management activities at other sites. The High Altitude (HAT) Teams WOF firefighters hard at work have also been busy, with the Injisuthi Team removing unwanted alien inva- With a cold and dry winter approach- Estate, situated in Bela-Bela, south of sive plants such as Lantana. Removing ing the interior plateau of the coun- Limpopo. The farmer had assumed the alien invasive plants reduces the try, complicated by berg winds, the WOF firefighters would complete the task intensity of a fire by reducing its potential for wildfires increases sig- in two weeks but, due to their hard work potential fuel sources. The Injisuthi HAT team removes nificantly. and dedication, the Modimolle Team only alien invasive plants to help reduce Working on Fire Limpopo’s Modimolle needed a week to complete the work. the spread of unwanted fires Nompilo Zondi, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Communication Officer Team addressed the threat by removing vegetation through manual fuel load Ofentse Letswalo, Limpopo Provincial Communication Officer reduction (stack burning) at the Verloren Page 02 WORKING ON FIRE: An Expanded Public Works Programme implemented by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Senekal Team assists in Fire Awareness continues restoring town’s despite COVID-19 The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic educating them on topics such as fire appearance has changed life as we know it. safety in the home, fire hazards, veld The Senekal/Matwabeng Community When the country went back to Alert and forest fires, and evacuation proce- Forum has initiated a project to restore Level 3 of the National Lockdown dures. the small town of Senekal to its former in December and gatherings were Listeners were able to call in and ask glory, following the destructive and halted, Working on Fire Mpumalanga relevant questions and Siwela provided disruptive protests that occurred. Community Fire Awareness Officer, answers and additional information about Community members and local Mbuso Siwela, continued conducting the WOF Programme and its partners. organisations played various roles in this Fire Safe workshops and educating After the country returned to Alert project and the Imperani Fire Protection the community at large through the Level 1 in February, Siwela was invited to Association roped in the Working on Fire medium of radio. the South African National Defence Force team to conduct vegetation clearing in Siwela has been a regular voice (SANDF) Nkomazi Macadamia military and around the town to minimise the risk on the community and commercial base, where he conducted a Fire Safe of runaway veld fires in the area. radio stations in the province, raising workshop for the border post soldiers “The Senekal/Matwabeng Com- awareness of fire safety. in person, while adhering to COVID-19 Mbuso Siwela, WOF Mpumalanga munity Forum is busy with a project to The CFAO recently conducted safety protocols.

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