The Free State government has a responsibility to assist the farmers who suffered severe losses as a result of this past week’s fires.
The FF Plus demanded in a letter to the Free State Premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, that the province should be declared a disaster area so that farmers can get the help they desperately need.
The Disaster Management Act affords the Premier the capacity to declare the province a disaster area, thus making provincial resources available to help those affected.
While civil organisations are already planning to provide farmers with animal feed, among other things, it is absolutely imperative that the provincial government also commits itself to providing aid to affected farmers.
Farmers should benefit directly from any provincial aid. Merely handing out food parcels to farm workers is not enough. Farmers currently need support in various respects.
The FF Plus will also request the Free State Legislature to investigate the causes, prevention and combating of the recent veld fires. Arson and the local authorities’ failure to protect state land against spreading fires are two of the primary causes that need to be investigated.
The ANC and Premier cannot simply keep paying lip service when it comes to food security. They should walk the talk by protecting the farmers who keep the province’s food basket full.
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