SANTAM lends further support to Eastern Cape Municipalities following recent fire

In the wake of the devastating fires in the Southern and Eastern Cape, short-term insurer Santam has provided over a million rand in fire-fighting equipment to the Sarah Baartman District Municipality to assist in curbing loss of life and help reduce the destructive impact of fires and other risks within exposed communities across the region.

Santam’s Executive Head: Market Development, Mr Temba Mvusi said, “The extensive losses and damages to both lives, homes and other valuables has once again highlighted the need for collaboration between provincial and district disaster management centres to combat those communities at higher risk when it comes to fires and flooding.”

The equipment provided to the district municipality included: fire-fighting hoses, fire-fighter torches, rescue ropes, self-contained breathing apparatus, chain saws, portable communication radios and structural fire-fighter protective clothing.  The equipment will be to the benefit of seven fire stations across the municipality.

The contribution of equipment forms part of Santam’s long-established Programme for Risk and Resilience (P4RR) aimed at enhancing the capacity of local government in the areas of fire and flood risk management. The programme also serves to help vulnerable communities reduce their exposure to manageable risks.

“Over the last few years we have registered significant successes with our shared proactive risk management approach in addressing ‘on the ground risks’ through established partnerships with municipalities and local government,” said Mvusi.

The P4RR originated in 2012 and was previously known as BAAM (Business-Adopt-A-Municipality). In the next five years, the joint partnership plans to proactively impact the lives of about five million South Africans in 53 municipalities across the country.

“Municipalities bear the responsibility of managing the ramifications of a disaster when it strikes. They play a key role in responding and, also, in mitigating risk.  We have greatly improved the provision of disaster management in the respective 53 local municipalities and remain committed to creating a better life for all South African citizens,” concluded Mvusi.

This contribution follows on the back of Santam’s pledge of R1 million in support of disaster relief efforts following the Western Cape floods and the devastating fires in the greater Southern Cape region.