Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, custodians of open spaces in the City of Joburg, commenced its seasonal burning of firebreaks along the perimeter of its nature reserves to contain the potential threat of the loss of biodiversity, life and damage to property.
“Residents bordering the Kloofendal Nature Reserve fought an illegal fire on Sunday, 10th June, and thanks to Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s, proactive fire-burn the week before, firefighters were able to speedily douse the flames from spreading and causing extensive damage to adjacent homes,” stated the Member of the Mayoral Committee of Community Development, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
Planned firebreaks are being undertaken at the Kloofendal Nature Reserve, Klipriversberg Nature Reserve, the Ruimsig Nature Reserve, Dee Dee Brown Memorial Park, Little Falls Ridge, Northcliff Ridge, Linksfield Ridge, Langermanskop Ridge, Observatory Ridge and Melville Koppies.
Ensuring that JCPZ fire-proofs high risk open spaces such as city’s nature reserves have far reaching benefits and is an essential biodiversity management tool to:
• Create spatial diversity to ensure the uneven distribution of grasses in rainfall-driven systems;
• Influence the quality and quantity for foraging;
• Contain and control fires as regulated by prescribed burning, guided by the type of fire, fire size, duration, frequency, intensity and seasonality across the affected landscape.
City Parks and Zoo is also bound according to the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (No. 101 of 1998), where all owners of natural veld are duty-bound to prepare and maintain firebreaks along the borders of their property.
The benefits where a fire is applied correctly can have many positive outcomes to increase forage production; improve the habitat in a nature reserve; create openness and visibility to deter criminal activity; increase the aesthetics and attract visitors; contribute to soil nutrient-cycling to improve regrowth; control woody and thick vegetation for ease of movement for animal-life and to eradicate invasive plant material.
It is against this background that residents of City Joburg are advised that some sections of the above reserves will be plagued by smoke that will impact on visibility.
Residents may contact Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo on 083 981 0272 to discuss the JCPZs Burn Plan and to report illegal fires to the City of Joburg’s emergency unit on 011 375-5555.
Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba
The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
City of Joburg
Tel: 011 407-6049
Media Enquiries
Jenny Moodley
Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
T: 011 712-6600/082 8030 748/082 905 1515
E: jmoodley@jhbcityparks.com
W: www.jhbcityparks.com
