Wild Fires - Veld Fires - Arson

They call it Wild Fire or Veld Fire, I call it Arson. No sooner had I written my blog two days ago, it's in the paper, in the Swazi Observer on 21st of July.
"WILD FIRES RAZE TWO HOMESTEADS AT NKHABA".

And the local authorities lament like in every year: "The community needed to be taught about the dangers of veld fire." The trivialization of a bad habit that wreaks still a lot of damage. And in this case the two women were lucky that no grand children burned in their houses. It is a criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property, and here in the country its an obsessive desire to set fire to things.
Strong words from someone who is always afraid of fires reaching his

home at night.

 

 

Kingdom on Fire

For years and many more years Swaziland is regularly set alight in winter. 

Ezulwini looking west at Sheba's Rest

 This is one of those customs that might never change. People here in the Kingdom claim that this is part of their tradition. And if you ask friends why they do it, they do not know any longer why. It must have had a reason a hundred years ago for peasants.  Although it is dangerous in this modern world as houses go up in flames, electricity poles and transformer are burnt to ashes; even children are burnt to death when they are trapped by gust and blaze. There is no serious campaign by government to rise above this habit, especially in developing areas like Ezulwini. All I read in the newspaper s when the weather bureau predicts a heavy wind: Be aware when you set the location on fire!
This is kind of a traditional behavior which is long time overdue to be changed, say environmentalists in SD. 

 

New Business Complex in Ezulwini Valley

Bush fire smoke blurs the view at the mountains in the neighborhood of Ezulwini Valley