Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has called on residents to remain alert and cautious as the province grapples with an escalating combination of severe wildfires and mounting water shortages.
According to Winde, the 2025/2026 fire season has been the most destructive in the past decade, with more than 132 000 hectares of land scorched and several structures destroyed. Despite the widespread damage, he confirmed that no human lives have been lost.
The province has already spent over R19 million on firefighting efforts, with more than 2 600 personnel deployed to contain the blazes and protect communities.
“The Cabinet in the Western Cape took a decision to request two disaster declarations,” Winde said.
“The first is in response to the fire season, which has been the most severe in years. The second declaration relates to water, as the volume of water being used is placing our systems under severe strain.”
Alongside government efforts, humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers (GOTG) has been responding to multiple emergencies across the province.
These include residential and wildfires in the Western Cape, and critical water shortages in Knysna and other parts of the province.
GOTG project lead Ali Sablay said the organisation has been working closely with provincial and local disaster management teams, describing the response as a strong collaborative effort.
“There’s been no hindrance to our operations,” Sablay said.
“It’s been a collective response, with government and relief organisations working together to assist affected areas.”
Sablay explained that GOTG teams remain active following a fire in Masiphumelele earlier this week and continue to support victims affected by the Dunoon fire that occurred in early January.
Listen to the full interview with Ali Sablay below:
VOC News
Photo: GOTG/Facebook
