Veld fires rage on

VELD fires around the country have ravaged 143 000 hectares of land over the span of two weeks, and continue to rage on.

In a statement issued on Monday, environment, forestry and tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said 27 veld fires have been reported during this period. He said fires continue to be a big challenge in the country, with reports being received on a daily basis.

Thus far, 59 farms have been burnt, Muyunda said.

The confirmed damage includes 135 livestock and 75 wild animals, he added. He said the fires have also led to the destruction of infrastructure like fences and water pipes.

This does not include figures for a massive fire which spread quickly in the area behind the Elisenheim Estate near Elisenheim Guest Farm on the outskirts of Windhoek on Tuesday.

Muyunda said the ministry is busy with a comprehensive assessment of damages.

“Most of the fires are believed to have been caused by arsonists and charcoal burners.

“Fortunately, there has been no fatalities reported in the last two week,” he said.

Some of the main causes of the forest and veld fires listed by the ministry include charcoal production operations, mechanical appliances such as graders, recreational activities such as picnics, smokers and local natural resource management-related activities such as hunting, honey production and thatch-grass harvesting.

Windhoek municipalty spokesperson Harold Akwenye confirmed that the other affected areas include Elisenheim, Döbra, Ludwigsdorf, Satan’s Loch, Kupferberg and Daan Viljoen.