The scorching summer months currently creeping in bring an upsurge in devastating mountain fires, which are often caused by religious groups performing their rituals in the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daan van Leeuwen Boomkamp, commander of the Drakenstein Farm Watch (DFW) says year after year there are reports of farms close to the Du Toits Kloof mountain range burning due to mountain fires that get out of control, and year after year the cause is the same: as the eyewitnesses have it, people clothed in white robes going up mountains and lighting candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Van Leeuwen Boomkamp the last five years or so have seen an increase in religious groups observed going up these mountains, many of them identified as African Zionists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDWF has large groups of observers who are actually farmers with their binoculars trained on the mountains every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Invariably staying on the foothills of the Du Toits Kloof mountains, near the Huguenot Tunnel on Paarl\u2019s side, they regularly spot \u201cpeople dressed in white clothing\u201d going up the mountains, Van Leeuwen Boomkamp said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These sightings, he said, occur at least once a day and remain closely monitored by DFW\u2019s observers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van Leeuwen Boomkamp said whenever there\u2019s a fire in the mountains in and around Paarl, it is more than likely caused by illegal gatherings of religious groups, for which a permit has to be obtained that actually prohibits activities such as fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the groups enter with candles and on leaving, leave the burning candles planted in the ground. The flame may be spread by winds or the candle accidentally falls over onto flora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n