R10 000 reward for information on deliberate fires in Overstrand

A new fire broke out at approximately 15:15 on 12 January near the County Fair site, adjacent to the low-cost housing development in Stanford. According to Overstrand Municipality, there are strong indications that the fire was deliberately started rather than caused by natural factors.

In response, the municipality has announced a R10 000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The same reward applies to a separate fire at Mount Pleasant on Rotary Way in Hermanus over the past weekend, suggesting a pattern of concern rather than an isolated incident.

From a municipal finance perspective, deliberate fires impose direct and indirect costs. These include emergency response expenditure, damage to infrastructure, and higher long-term insurance and mitigation costs. Such incidents also divert limited public resources away from planned service delivery.

The municipality has urged residents to share any information, anonymously if necessary, through its emergency control room, law enforcement channels, or digital reporting platforms. Overstrand’s management has signalled that it intends to pursue accountability, framing arson not only as a criminal act, but as a material risk to public finances and community safety.