Agriculture minister visits fire ravaged Harrismith area
01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author
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The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana paid a visit to Harrismith in the eastern Free State on Friday, to assess the damage caused by veldfires that devastated the area.
He was briefed by Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Mamiki Qabethe, the South African Police Service and various other safety and disaster representatives.
Three people died in the fires, while three others are in hospital with severe injuries.
One of them, a young man, is in a critical condition, and was transferred to Millpark hospital in Johannesburg.
A farmworker, Khehla Mokoena as well as pastor Johann Mocke and his 15 year-old-son, Zander, lost their lives.
The department of agriculture says 34 000 hectares of grazing land were destroyed, while a thousand sheep and 350 cattle also died.
It says fences, water pipes, bales of fodder, eight farmhouses, a car, farming implements and agricultural infrastructure were also destroyed in the blaze.
