Good Morning Angels: Giving Knysna a fighting chance
Knysna has been massively affected by the recent fires that destroyed almost everything in its path and left many displaced.
GOOD MORNING ANGELS 19 JUNE 2017 (KNYSNA FIRES/MARCé)
REQUEST FOR: Knysna Community after the recent fire devastation
ANGEL 1: Marcé Fire Fighting Technology
SPONSORING: The team at Marcé Fire Fighting Technology build and manufacture all kinds of fire fighting vehicles for all needs in South Africa and Africa. They are currently re-building a UNIMOG All-Terrain vechile, with fire hoses, water pump and storage, as well as communication capabilities. This vehicle is worth over R1-million. On completion, Marcé will deliver this vehicle to the Knysna Fire Department within the next month or so. All of this will be donated to the Knysna Fire Department free of charge.
ANGEL 2: The Jacaranda FM listeners and the GMA Fund
SPONSORING: We asked listeners to make contributions to the GMA Fund towards the fire fighting and relief efforts in Knysna, with the reference #KnysnaFire. The GMA Fund contributed the first R50,000 and our listeners donated a whopping R175,000. A total of R225,000 will be donated towards sourcing proper protective clothing for Knysna’s fire fighters. This is enough to make up 20 fire fighter protective kits. Marcé will source the clothing and gear and deliver to Knysna Fire Department along with the UNIMOG fire truck.
BACKGROUND:
The Western Cape prepared for the “Mother of all Storms” that was to hit on Wednesday, 7 June 2017. For the first time in history, schools were closed for the day as a precaution and employers were asked to give workers the day off as far as possible. However, as the storms hit the Western Cape, another force of nature was starting a path of destruction in the Southern Cape. There was little time to prepare for the hell that was to be unleashed on the small, picturesque town of Knysna.
The fire department got updates of wind speed and direction changes on the half hour and evacuated parts of the Eden District ahead of the devastating fire’s arrival. A fire line of 100 kilometers destroyed all in its path along the world famous Garden Route. Fire fighters and volunteers battled in shifts for days to do what they could. Two of these men - 24-year old Bradley Richards and 63-year-old John Blaauw, paid with their lives. Another five people died and hundreds of homes and buildings were destroyed. South Africans in other parts of the country looked on in horror for many days.
A week and a half on, hundreds of thousands of Rands in goods and cash has been raised to help the affected communities.
The Western Cape Government has put aside R75-million for the rebuilding of infrastructure damaged by the storms and the fire. According to some estimates, it would take three years to repair all that has been lost in Knysna, with one insurer estimating damage in the town alone at between three to four billion Rand. And yet, Knysna doesn’t have its own, dedicated fire truck and the town’s brave fire fighters do not have the protective gear they need to fight fire disasters of this magnitude.