By The spectacular air show in Bethlehem in the Free State Province last week Saturday, 7 September 2024, was met with an unfortunate incident whereby 19 vehicles belonging to spectators caught fires.
Following the incident, the Free State MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Mr Ketso Makume has since expressed his regret over the incident and assured that the investigations into the matter are still on-going.
Spectators were entertained to marvellous and successful air show hosted by Dihlabeng Local Municipality and its stakeholders, with the objective to advance tourism visibility in the area, promote social cohesion, introduce aviation careers to students and broaden economic opportunities when the fire broke out.
Fire fighters and the emergency team were called, however, despite their swift response, the fire had spread widely burning a total of 19 cars. No fatalities were report except for one miner injured person who was rushed to the hospital.
MEC Makume said the cause of the fire and the extent there of forms part of the investigation that will guide the relevant stakeholders on what steps to take next.
“As the Department mandated to drive economic and tourism initiatives in the province, we take this incident serious and we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our people. We would like to convey our gratitude to Dihlabeng Local Municipality, fire fighters, and emergency teams for responding to the call and we urge all events organisers in our beloved province to adhere to strict protocols and reinforce safety measures to prevent such incident from occurring,” said MEC Ketso Makume.
MEC Makume also appealed to the public that the incident should not serve as scarecrow to the tourism industry in the Province, as the industry is still fragile and recovering from the effects of COVID-19.
Makume further invited both domestic and international tourists to visit the province as their preferred destination of choice, as it is a province worth visiting, not just to go through. He assured the visitors that they will continue to experience the warmth and the welcoming hospitality of the people in the province and enjoy its open skies.
The MEC said his department remains committed to creating a sense of belonging amongst tourists/ travellers because tourism is a significant pillar of the economy and many households depend on it for their livelihoods.
MEC Ketso Makume called on the all various tourist attraction facilities, activities to inspire travelling and adventure enthusiast to visit the Free State to enjoy tourism and peace during this period.
