Pretoria - Public Works Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin has joined South Africans in sending condolences to the family of pilot Willem Hendrik “Bees” Marais, who died in a helicopter crash while dousing fires at Cape Point Nature Reserve.
The deceased was a freelance flyer for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Working on Fire, for over three years.
Deputy Minister Cronin said: “Our hearts go out to the Marias family, friends and colleagues, who indeed lost their loved one. The tragedy of Marias’s death is a pain that is felt by all South Africans.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and colleagues at this time of hardship. We wish them strength, hope and courage in these difficult times.”
Marais was killed on Sunday when his helicopter crashed while he was assisting with efforts to contain the raging fire across the Cape Peninsula. His chopper was reported to have crashed in mountainous terrain during a forced landing.
Investigators of the South African Civil Aviation Authority are currently examining the events surrounding the aircraft crash.
The pilot was one of thousands of EPWP fire fighters who responded to a societal call to protect the lives and properties of communities that were being destroyed by the raging fires in Cape Town last week.
The Deputy Director General (DDG) of EPWP in the national Department of Public Works, Stanley Henderson, also paid tribute to Marias.
He said Marais’s hard work and commitment to the improvement of the lives of the people of Cape Town would be remembered forever, and that he died as a hero. - SAnews.gov.za
