A fire at the Mavhungeni Communal Property Association (CPA) farm near Elim two weeks ago has left workers without an income and the management struggling to recover. The blaze destroyed orchards, grazing camps, fencing, and a water tank, burning about 300 hectares of the 1,382-hectare farm. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Since the farm was handed over to the Mavhungeni community in 2001 after a successful land claim, it has been a vital source of food and employment for local residents, supporting many families. Farmers said they often struggled to recover from disasters such as fires and droughts, with little government support despite reporting incidents to local agricultural offices. They also said the fire had spread, despite the farm's having firebreaks.
Farmworker Tsieni Marema, who has worked on the farm since 2010, said families were now left with nothing. "It is very hard because we no longer know how we will keep our jobs. With unemployment already so high, the burning of the farm is devastating," she said.
David Baloyi, who started beekeeping in 2004 and sold honey as far as Johannesburg, said all his hives were destroyed. "I harvested in June, but this has affected me badly. I don't know where to start, and I will now have to rely solely on my Sassa grant, which is very little," he said.
Farm manager Morris Baloyi said the damage would take years to repair. "A tree takes years to produce. Replanting will cost a lot. We used to employ around 20 workers, but this fire has hit us hard. We are in the dry season and cannot afford feed, which also affects the workers," he said.
The police in Bandelierkop have opened an inquiry. Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi said the farm owner had left the property at 09:00 with everything in order and had been called by employees at around 14:00 to report the fire.
"He contacted the fire department, who assisted. Losses included macadamia, avocado, and mango trees, a fence, and a water tank. The cause is unknown and investigations continue," said Dathi. Anyone with information can contact W/O Bokang Thomas Lekgau on (066) 480-0414.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) said that under the Veldfire Management Act, landowners were responsible for preventing and combating veldfires. State support depends on the scale of the disaster.
DARD spokesperson Mosupologo Mothotse told Limpopo Mirror that livestock and grazing losses should be reported to local agricultural offices. She said assessments began once farmers submitted reports detailing the incident, damaged assets, estimated costs, and requested assistance. "Immediate relief will be provided in line with what is requested," she said.
Mothotse added that farmers should establish firebreaks as a long-term measure, and those lacking resources could apply for support through the department's comprehensive agricultural support programme (CASP).