DA calls for health risk assessment after Lichtenburg Waste Tyre Depot fire
31 July 2023
The DA in the North West will write to the Acting Premier, Nono Maloyi and the MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha, to urgently establish an independent response team to assess the potentially devastating impact of the recent fire at the Lichtenburg Waste Tyre Depot in Biesiesvlei.
Thousands of tyres went up in flames and burned for days releasing a thick noxious smoke into the air. The blaze was fanned on by strong winds, blowing the potentially dangerous gas and smoke into the residential areas of Itekeng, Sannieshof, Agisanang, Ditshotswane and Schweizer-Reneke.
Residents in the area have been experiencing increased respiratory distress symptoms, shortness of breath, and other symptoms associated with exposure to the smoke. Medical doctors in the Sannieshof area have noted an increase in patients presenting with respiratory symptoms.
We have called on the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment for an investigation into the cause of the fire and whether the operator complied with the regulations of the National Environmental Act: Waste, specifically with regards to storage and fire prevention.