Casual jobs boon as repairs start

WHILE no job losses are expected in fire-ravaged areas, the casual labour market has received an unexpected boost as work starts on repairs to damaged buildings and farms.

Businesses and residents in Thornhill and surrounding areas said that rebuilding and repair work were under way, leading to more temporary jobs.

Thornhill businessman and farmer Jonathan Fowke said the fires had inadvertently led to more casual work.

“Most of the Thornhill casual labour staff force is now out on farms fixing fences and assisting with repair work,” he said.

“At this stage, the biggest loss in our area in terms of buildings is the Zebra Lodge which will cost R15-millionplus to rebuild.

“That is a big loss, but then again, local workers will be used to rebuild the lodge.

“Another farm suffering financial loss is the Protea Farm which lost cultivations.”

Fowke said at least four farmhouses on larger plots had been gutted, while commercial farms remained fairly unaffected.

“The sawmill is a major job creator for the area and rebuilding there will also see more employment,” he said.

“Job losses are not foreseen and, if anything, we are very fortunate to see some money coming back into the town.”

MTO Forestry chief executive Lawrence Polkinghorne said: “There is probably going to be low to no impact on employment.

“People are already being redeployed and upskilled to do different jobs on the plantations.

“We have other operations in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga which will absorb people, and artisans and special-skilled employees are going to be moving to the likes of the George Saw Mill.

“MTO will be rebuilding and rehabilitating, which has already begun. Planting will be in full swing soon.”

Plans were afoot to identify strategies to use burnt logs in the forest.

Van Stadens River Farmers’ Association and Agri Eastern Cape board member Johan Rademeyer, who has been working to stop the fires since last week, said no commercial farms were damaged on the Rocklands side.

Rademeyer, who is also a Fire Protection Association member, said businesses as far as Kirkwood had come to assist with fighting the fires.

“It is because of the people who came to help that we saved farms, plots and houses,” he said.

“It is because of businesses and people working together that we will have no job losses.”

Rademeyer said Kirkwood farmers had sent huge water trucks to their aid, from where tanks on the back of bakkies were filled. “It was a massive help to have them there.”

Farmers around Knysna are, however, still counting the cost of the fires.

Knysna Farmers’ Association head Cobus Erasmus said the region consisted mostly of livestock farms, and the priority was to repair fences and get food and water to the animals.

“The little grazing we had left after the drought was destroyed in the fire,” he said.

Also badly affected were a blueberry farm and a tea farm in the Karatara area.

Farmers’ association representative Peter Reed said help had been pouring in from all over and at least 34 tons of hay had arrived.

“We are now looking to get water pumps and pipes, to help get water to animals.

“We also need to look at rebuilding infrastructure like roads and fencing.”

Reed said it was still too early to tell whether there would be major job losses, as most farm workers would be needed to help rebuild farms.

“I think the real effect on jobs will only become apparent in a couple of months.”