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Over the past few days, members of the opposition have repeatedly claimed that City of Tshwane firefighting vehicles have been repossessed because the City cannot pay its bills. This claim is false and misleading.

To be clear, there are no Emergency Services vehicles that have been repossessed as a result of non-payment.

It is disappointing that public representatives would make and repeat such a serious allegation without first establishing the facts. Residents should be able to expect that claims made by elected representatives, particularly about something as important as the City's emergency-response capacity, are based on evidence rather than speculation.

The City does have Emergency Services vehicles that are currently undergoing repairs and maintenance. This is entirely normal for an operational fleet of this size and complexity. These vehicles have a range of identified mechanical and technical faults and are at various stages of the repair process.

Emergency vehicles are also highly specialised assets. Certain repairs require specialist service providers, while some replacement parts must be sourced internationally. This can unfortunately extend the period for which individual vehicles remain unavailable.

Tshwane Emergency Services operates an ageing fleet following years of inadequate investment in the replacement of municipal assets. Given the City's constrained capital budget, it is not possible to replace an entire specialised fleet at once. We must therefore maintain and repair serviceable vehicles while progressively replacing older vehicles as resources become available.

This administration has made investment in the Emergency Services fleet a priority. In February this year, the City commissioned additional new bush pumpers and support vehicles to add to the 5 additional firefighting tucks procured in December 2025. These acquisitions form part of an ongoing programme to renew the fleet, modernise municipal assets and strengthen the City's internal emergency-response capacity.

However, the suggestion that the challenges associated with an ageing fleet mean that Tshwane Emergency Services is unable to protect residents is equally misleading.

Tshwane Emergency Services remains one of the country's leading metropolitan fire and rescue services. Its operational planning takes account of available fleet capacity and resources to ensure that emergency coverage is maintained across the city.

In the most recent reporting period, 91.24% of emergency calls were processed and dispatched within 120 seconds, significantly exceeding the Department's target of 70%.

Between 31 August and 6 September alone, Emergency Services dealt with 162 incidents across Tshwane, including 121 fire incidents.

These results are achieved because of the professionalism and commitment of our firefighters, emergency personnel and management teams, often while working with an ageing fleet that we are progressively renewing.

We will continue investing in Emergency Services, improving fleet availability and ensuring that our personnel have the equipment they need to protect Tshwane's residents.

But legitimate challenges with fleet maintenance should not be misrepresented as evidence that fire engines have been repossessed because the City cannot pay its bills.

Members of the opposition have a responsibility to establish the facts before making alarming and unsubstantiated claims to residents.

Issued by City of Tshwane