Gift of the Givers ramps up relief as fires rage in Eastern and Western Cape

By Johnathan Paoli

Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has intensified its emergency operations across both the Eastern and Western Cape as firefighters battle multiple, fast-moving wildfires fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and widespread infrastructure failures.

In the Eastern Cape, Gift of the Givers teams are on the ground in the Kouga Municipality following an urgent request for assistance as three major fires continue to rage across a vast area stretching from Kou-Kamma to Jeffreys Bay.

The blazes, burning in the Kou-Kamma area, between St Francis Bay and Paradise Beach, and between Kabeljous and Jeffreys Bay, have forced evacuations in several communities due to the high risk posed to lives and property.

Affected areas include Zwartenbosch towards Hankey, Oyster Bay Road, the Kromme River and Riverside areas, Kabeljous River behind Nature’s Valley Private Game Reserve, and Smithfield.

Municipal authorities have warned residents that the situation remains dangerous and unpredictable, particularly as shifting winds threaten to spread the fires further.

Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said the sheer scale of the fires, estimated at nearly 20 kilometres in length in some areas, has overwhelmed ground-based firefighting efforts.

With only about 65 firefighters initially deployed and large sections of the terrain inaccessible by road, the organisation has prioritised aerial firefighting support.

At the request of the Kouga Municipality, Gift of the Givers moved swiftly to secure a water bomber helicopter capable of dropping up to 2 000 litres of water per sortie.

The helicopter arrived in St Francis Bay on Thursday morning and has begun targeted water drops on the most dangerous fire fronts, working in coordination with a municipal helicopter.

“To intervene effectively and safely, we needed to control the fire from the air. Once the fire is suppressed from above, firefighters on the ground can move