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The Democratic Alliance (DA) will submit a Motion in the next council sitting to request the committee to debate the dysfunctional state of the fire stations in the Capricorn District Municipality, following an oversight visit to the Lepelle-Nkumpi fire station.

We are deeply concerned about the condition of the fire station in Lebowakgomo. It is becoming clear that fire stations in the district have been neglected as well as negatively impacted by a lack of resources and monitoring.

There is currently no building maintenance being done on the dilapidated station building. The trucks at the station have been due for service since 2019 and have not been taken for service as required.

The employees at the Lepelle-Nkumpi fire station do not have protective clothing. This is inclusive of breathing apparatus. Worryingly, one of the fire trucks recently failed a road worthy test.

The personnel on site employed as firefighters are not in compliance with the required labour force, thus forcing employees to work extreme overtime hours that is above the overtime threshold as stipulated in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA).

These limitations have affected the station’s effectiveness. There was a recent incident of a house that caught fire a mere two kilometers from the Lepelle-Nkumpi fire station, but due to a lack of resources the response was not adequate. This resulted in the firefighting team not being able to put out the fire before the house was completely burnt to the ground.

The DA will move for a Motion that the council debates the urgent need to visit the other fire stations and to conduct a public hearing in terms of section 79 of the Municipal Systems Act so that officials that are responsible for the operations of fire stations are held accountable.

Our communities depend on fully functional fire stations to provide essential disaster services, therefore the failure to provide adequate resources might have devastating effects in the future.

The DA is committed to ensuring the safety of residents and believes these fire stations should be prioritized and well resourced in order to save the property and lives of residents when required.

Issued by Tiny Chidi - DA councillor in Capricorn District Municipality