The new fire truck that the Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) bought for R5,4 million in January is the only fire truck available to serve the entire Municipality after service providers withdrew the other three fire trucks due to non-payment.
The FF Plus does not support the Municipality’s decision to spend R7 million on a new fire truck and fire-fighting equipment.
Instead, the money should have been used to settle the outstanding debt with service providers so that some of the towns could, at least, get access to a fire truck again.
With enough fire trucks and equipment at their disposal, the 38 fire fighters can play a more active role in protecting lives and property.
Communities are now forced to buy their own water trucks and put out fires themselves.
Water is obtained from swimming pools and taps; seeing as the only fire truck is stationed in Evaton, it is impossible for it to put out fires in various places all at once.
Moreover, fire fighters often struggle to locate fire hydrants in time because so few of them have been properly maintained and are clearly marked.
Emfuleni has a large farm and small holdings community and with the fire season just around the corner, this community runs the risk of suffering serious damages due to the Municipality’s mismanagement of its fire-fighting services.
This incomprehensible and thoughtless decision by the administrator of Emfuleni, Gilberto Martins, once again serves as proof of the ANC’s inability to properly manage Emfuleni for residents’ benefit.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Gerda Senekal on FF Plus
