Fire risks rise in Gauteng reserves while staff suspension delay costs taxpayers R1.3m

Since July 2022, two junior employees in the Gauteng Provincial Government have been suspended, costing taxpayers R1.3-million in salaries while essential fire management tasks – like maintaining firebreaks – are under-resourced.

Last week, responding to questions from Jade Miller, Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow MEC for environmental affairs, Gauteng MEC for Environmental Affairs Shyla Peters (Patriotic Alliance) admitted that the employees’ suspension had significantly hindered fire prevention efforts.

Gauteng MEC for Environmental Affairs Shyla Peters. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)

Jade Miller, DA Gauteng shadow MEC for environmental affairs.(Photo: Democratic Alliance)

“The department has struggled to implement and complete key reserve management projects such as firebreaks, thus placing the reserves at great risk,” said Peters.

The nature conservation assistants were suspended over allegations of assaulting someone on departmental premises, bringing the department into disrepute and violating the public service code of conduct.

They have since successfully challenged their suspension at the bargaining council and were awarded compensation. However, the department has taken the case to the labour court for review, further delaying their reinstatement or replacement.

Miller criticised the prolonged legal battle, saying, “These things should have a 30-day turnaround – either the employees are fired or their suspension is lifted. Instead, this has dragged on for over two years. They continue earning full salaries, yet their positions cannot be re-advertised or refilled, leaving reserves vulnerable.”

Miller said, “The situation exemplifies a broader crisis within the Gauteng provincial government, where staff suspensions regularly exceed the mandated 30-day resolution period.”

The DA is demanding that the department expedite the labour court review process and ensure all disciplinary actions are completed within the prescribed 30-day timeframe.

What are firebreaks, and why do we need them?

Firebreaks are essentially gaps or cleared strips of land, where combustible materials (like grass or bush) have been cleared. This makes it harder for fires to spread because there’s less fuel (material that can burn).

“By creating an area with reduced fuel load, firebreaks limit a fire’s ability to spread rapidly, giving firefighters a strategic advantage in containing and suppressing flames,” said Linton Rensburg, media spokesperson for Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture, an Expanded Public Works Programme implemented on behalf of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

 

Firebreaks also served as safe zones from which backburns could be initiated to fight the fire from within, said Rensburg. Furthermore, firebreaks provided a crucial line of defence for properties and communities located near natural vegetation, rural or farming areas and urban interfaces.

Rensburg said firebreak methods varied across South Africa due to regional differences in vegetation. In the Western Cape, manual methods such as raking, shovelling and ploughing were common because of biodiversity limits. However, in provinces such as Gauteng, Limpopo and Free State, the grasslands made controlled burns more practical and effective.

Professor Guy Midgley, a climate and biodiversity scientist with 40 years of experience, much of it at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi), emphasised that while fires were a natural part of many ecosystems, controlled burning was crucial for maintaining healthy biodiversity. He highlighted that certain species such as fynbos, relied on fire for germination.

However, he stressed that effective fire management was essential in reducing the risk of destructive wildfires, particularly through strategies such as managing fuel loads and creating firebreaks.

Daily Maverick is still awaiting a response with more details from the MEC on what reserves are affected, but the Gauteng provincial government is responsible for maintaining several nature reserves, including:

• Abe Bailey Nature Reserve (near Krugersdorp)


• Alice Glockner Nature Reserve (East Rand)


• Marievale Bird Sanctuary (near Nigel)


• Roodeplaat Nature Reserve (near Pretoria)


• Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve (south of Johannesburg)

Suikerbosrand, in particular, has faced devastating wildfires due to inadequate firebreaks. In July 2024, a fire broke out that destroyed more than 80% of the reserve within four days. A fire in 2021 affected nearly 30% of the area.

Daily Maverick asked MEC Shyla Peters for comment on Tuesday, but has yet to receive a response.

Fires don’t stay in reserves

Firebreaks are crucial when wildfires threaten areas near cities, industrial zones and transport infrastructure, explained Working on Fire spokesperson Linton Rensburg.

“If a fire breaks out in a reserve, it doesn’t just threaten wildlife and ecosystems – it can spread beyond its borders,” said the DA’s Miller.

She highlighted the risk to informal settlements, where fires could be especially devastating due to highly flammable materials.

Miller said under-resourced fire services were a growing concern.

“We know municipal fire departments are struggling and response times are a worry. This isn’t just about a firebreak not being maintained – it’s about the ripple effects. Fires can spread to neighbouring farmland, threatening food security, or reach densely populated areas, turning a preventable crisis into a disaster.”

​​Climate change fuelling fires

As temperatures rise, southern Africa will experience more frequent and intense heatwaves, prolonged dry spells and shifts in rainfall patterns, all of which create ideal conditions for wildfires.

“As climate change continues to fuel more frequent and severe wildfires, investing in proactive measures like firebreaks is essential for reducing damage and increasing the safety of vulnerable communities,” said Rensburg.

Professor Midgley, the director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, warned that climate extremes – hotter temperatures, dry spells and erratic weather swings – were creating ideal conditions for devastating fires.

He said the 2024 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was worsened by “climate whiplash” – a cycle where heavy rains fuel vegetation growth, followed by extended dry spells that turn this vegetation into highly flammable fuel. This pattern significantly amplifies wildfire risks.

Read more: Climate change’s ‘undeniable’ fingerprints all over deadly California wildfires

Rensburg also noted that the recent wildfires in Los Angeles “serve as a stark reminder that the climate crisis is no longer a distant concern. Extreme weather events, including wildfires, floods and droughts, are increasingly a part of our reality.”

The World Weather Attribution, the leading climate attribution group in the world, found that the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fuelled recent Californian wildfires were about 35% more likely due to human-caused climate change, primarily driven by fossil fuel emissions.

“There is absolutely no question that there is a climate change signal in those [California] fires,” said Midgley.

SA needs to prepare

“As global temperatures rise, the unpredictability and intensity of wildfires are expected to increase, putting lives, property and ecosystems at greater risk,” said Rensburg.

“And that means that we’ll likely need to invest more and more in managing those conditions and managing wildfires under those conditions,” said Midgley.

“We’ll need more expertise, we’ll need to train more people, and we’ll need more budget for that.”

Rensburg said in response to these threats, the Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture believes South Africa must be ready to address large-scale wildfires through more effective fire management systems, including firebreaks.

“This is a very productive way for the national fiscus to invest resources,” said Midgley on the management of wildfires, “because the return on that investment is safety, security, peace of mind and protection of infrastructure and human lives.” DM