The long-standing love-hate relationship between Drakenstein Municipality and Drakenstein Farm Watch (DFW) reached tipping point when the municipality last week announced that it had cut all ties with the local farm watch saying it no longer required assistance from the private entity, and that any emergency incidents fell within its jurisdiction.
In a comprehensive, politically-charged Facebook post the municipality stated: “To the public DFW pretended to be noble, legitimate and above board.
“The truth, however, is that DFW is an unauthorised private service that runs a risky business.
“It charges fire victims thousands of rands for its services.
“This has come to the attention of the municipality through various complaints received from disgruntled farmers and home- and landowners.”
DFW has been doing volunteer fire fighting, medical and rescue services in the area since 2009.
Many of the fires responded to over the years have been in informal settlements and areas of Paarl East.
They would often be the first responders on scene, adding to the role they have played in mitigating major disasters.
The municipality’s Facebook post came after DFW reportedly asked for a budgetary allocation of R2,4 million to fund its operations, staff, equipment and marketing for the next financial year, a request that was denied outright.
“Recognising the role DFW plays in Drakenstein, the municipality has had many discussions with DFW over the years, paid on-site visits to its premises and even offered to assist it in complying with firefighting legislation, all in good faith.
“The municipality also has a memorandum of understanding with DFW in place to render urgent medical and security responses during fires and other emergency situations.
“Yet DFW chooses to lambast the municipality regularly on social media and other public forums for so-called non-performance, lack of firefighting vehicles and slow-response times, all fabricated.
“The bottom line is that DFW needs money and will do everything in its power to get it, even if it means spreading lies about its own partners, of which the municipality is one.”
The municipality further slammed DFW for apparently not being lawfully regulated, recognised, demarcated or equipped to provide emergency services.
“The law is clear,” its post said. “In terms of Section 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, firefighting services is a function of local government.”
DFW’s CEO Daan van Leeuwen Boomkamp has since hit back at the municpality saying its statement was not only one-sided and misleading, but regrettably defamatory in tone and substance, and it unfairly portrays DFW as operating in bad faith.
“The suggestion that DFW ‘finally shows its hand’ in reference to a transparent and formal funding request to the municipality is an inappropriate and unjustified insinuation.
“This language damages DFW’s reputation and suggests wrongdoing where none exists.
“DFW’s communication was clear: we sought municipal inclusion for services rendered to the broader public and non-members, especially during the peak 2023-’24 fire season where even the municipality and district had to request emergency funding.
“We note the assertion that firefighting is a constitutionally-mandated municipal function and that DFW operates outside this mandate.
“While we respect that municipal firefighting services fall under the authority of local government, it is important to note that the Fire Brigade Services Act, while empowering municipalities, does not preclude private or auxiliary firefighting services, especially those appointed by landowners under the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (NVFFA).
“DFW operates within this framework, with formal contracts in place from landowners appointing us as its fire-suppression partner.”
Van Leeuwen Boomkamp has requested an urgent meeting with the municipality to, among other things, clarify any misunderstandings and re-establish a factual basis for future engagements.
He said they would want to continue discussions on the fair and transparent inclusion of DFW in the 2025/26 municipal budget and ensure ongoing cooperation as outlined in the existing memorandum of understanding.
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