The fire on Paarl Mountain raged from November 30. Fire fighting teams managed to bring the blaze under control in the early hours of December 1.
Image: DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY
THE conviction of a Paarl arsonist Rudolf Coxam who subsequently received a two-year suspended sentence sends a strong message that authorities were not taking the crime lightly, says the Drakenstein municipality.
Coxam, a Paarl resident, was found guilty of charges relating to the Veld and Forestry Fire Act and sentenced in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court on February 11. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for five years.
The 42-year-old was arrested by Drakenstein Municipality’s Law Enforcement division on December 1, 2024 for starting a fire on Paarl Mountain which caused substantial damage to the area’s fauna and flora.
The fire on Paarl Mountain started at 10am on November 30. Fanned by strong winds, it quickly spread through the dry vegetation.
At one stage, firefighting crews and vehicles of no less than five municipalities were involved in battling the blaze. Drakenstein Municipality’s Fire and Rescue Services were assisted by the Cape Winelands District Municipality, Swartland Municipality, Stellenbosch Municipality, and City of Cape Town, as well as aerial support.
The crews managed to bring the fire under control in the early hours of December 1.
Reacting to the court outcome, Drakenstein mayor Stephen Korabie: “It is simply unacceptable that people show such disregard for their environment and their fellow citizens. In addition to putting our residents and their properties in danger, the fire caused significant damage to Paarl Mountain, its vegetation and animal life. Then we have not even mentioned the costs involved in extinguishing this destructive fire.”
The Western Cape government, together with Cape Nature, SAN Parks, City of Cape Town and the 5 District Municipalities spend approximately R100-million per year in combating wildfires which, if left uncontrolled, could cause several billions of rands of damage to property and result in the deaths of humans and animals, officials said.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell hailed the local law enforcement officers for their handling of the probe, saying: “This conviction sends a strong message that arson is a serious crime and there are consequences if you are found guilty.
"Not only are wildfires an environmental threat, but it also holds enormous risks for human life as well as potential infrastructure damages. Adding to this is the inherently dangerous work of managing wildfires by our firefighting community. These brave men and women put their lives at risk to protect affected communities."
Western Cape Disaster Risk Management Centre chief director for disaster management and fire/rescue Services, Colin Deiner, welcomed the sentence handed down by the court.
"More than 90% of the wildfires that our services respond to in the summer season are caused by human agency. In most cases this is due to negligence, however, a number of these are started maliciously and these are usually the most devastating. We recognise the difficulty in identifying the perpetrators of these crimes. It is for this reason that we are deeply appreciative of the work of the community and law enforcement in this case," Deiner said.
Cape Times