On the morning of 3 February 2022, members of the community, assisted by the FF Plus, had to put out a fire at the main power substation in Balfour themselves because the local fire brigade did not have a vehicle at its disposal.
The FF Plus was the first to arrive at the scene and immediately called the Dipaleseng Fire Brigade, which was unable to respond because there were no vehicles available.
The fire fighters who were on duty were also not willing to lend a hand without a vehicle.
As a result, members of the community had no choice but to take action to prevent the substation from being completely destroyed in the fire.
Balfour now has no power and it is unclear when the power supply will be restored.
The fire engines that are supposed to serve the towns of Balfour, Greylingstad and Grootvlei in the Dipaleseng Local Municipality have been out of order for the last three years.
The FF Plus brought the fire brigade issue to the Municipality’s attention in the past by stating that it is unacceptable that the fire station is dysfunctional as it may result in a needless loss of lives and property.
The FF Plus also sent an official letter to Mpumalanga’s acting MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Busisiwe Shiba, requesting an investigation into the matter so as to ensure that the fire station is fully functional and able to protect residents.
The FF Plus will not stop putting pressure on the Municipality to perform its constitutional duty to provide residents with proper service delivery.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on FF Plus
