Premier Winde thanks firefighters, NGOs and residents for bravery and generosity

19 April 2021

Today, I held a press briefing together with the Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato, on the Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town’s response to the Table Mountain fire. During the briefing, I reiterated how thankful I am to the brave fire fighters and generous residents of the province for their efforts. Please see photos attached.

The briefing was further attended by the Minister of Local Government and Environmental Affairs, Minister Bredell, the Vice Chancellor of UCT, Professor Phakeng, the Chief Director of Disaster Management, Mr Deiner and the Fire Manager for Table Mountain National Park, Mr Prins.

I would like to thank all the firefighters, NGOs including Gift of the Givers, and generous residents in the Western Cape who have selflessly come forward by offering their help. Thank you for your efforts to put a stop to the fire and help those in need. I further wish a speedy recovery to those five firefighters who were injured in the line of duty.

It was devastating to hear of the loss of major heritage sites including UCT’s African studies library, Rhodes Memorial Park’s restaurant and Mostert’s mill, along with vast tracts of land. But through the Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town’s coordinated response, we have been able to salvage large parts of the mountain and University.

I was also very pleased to hear that SAPS in the Western Cape have arrested a suspect on a charge of arson in connection with the Table Mountain fires. The suspect was arrested yesterday and is due to appear in court soon. I call on SAPS to leave no stone unturned in their investigations to ensure that this does not happen again.

At the same time, I remind residents in the vicinity of the fire to take precautionary measures including:

• Staying hydrated;
• Keeping windows and doors shut until further notice;
• Keeping pets indoors;
• Moving garden furniture that is flammable under cover; and
• Being aware that if the situation gets worse, residents will be alerted timeously.

I also remind residents that in the event of an emergency, they can contact:

• City of Cape Town Emergency Services Landline: 021 480 7700 or 107 (for cell phones)
• Provincial Emergency Number: 112
• Table Mountain National Park: 021 957 4700

To watch the briefing, please visit here.

Issued by Alan Winde, Western Cape Premier, 19 April 2021