Statement by Karabo Khakhau MP – DA National Spokesperson:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) commends and extends our gratitude to the firefighters of the various Disaster Management teams, who have been working tirelessly in challenging and often dangerous terrain to fight fires.
Numerous firefighters were injured, and some were treated for smoke inhalation – a sacrifice for mitigating the impact of devastating fires within urban and informal settlements, which have left many homeless.
Summer is fire season, particularly in the Western and Eastern Capes, as they are fuelled by a combination of high temperatures, low humidity, strong winds and dense, dry vegetation. We commend all firefighters for annually providing recourse to a natural phenomenon that has a devastating social impact.
While it is difficult to provide an exact number of fires across the country, the Western Cape has recorded an “unusually high” 1,492 fire alerts in the period between 27 December 2025 and 3 January 2026. The biggest of these reported fires were in the Garden Route, Drakenstein, Overstrand, Bergrivier, Overberg and Cederberg – as well as along various points along national and secondary roads.
In the Eastern Cape, valiant firefighters evacuated vulnerable residents in Kouga, with ongoing fires in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The DA salutes these brave South African patriots for their unwavering service and commitment to protecting lives, property, and communities under extraordinarily challenging circumstances.
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