A total of 19 Working on Fire (WOF) students graduated after they had successfully completed wildland firefighting training at Kishugu Training Academy on March 21. Nomfundo Tshabalala, director general of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), officiated the graduation. She said WOF is a DFFE programme, which is one of the country’s most successful job creation projects and currently employs more than 5 000 people across the country.

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The graduates are now type 2 crew leaders in their base. They spent 42 days learning how to prevent fires and preserve the environment. “The graduates were equipped to educate their colleagues and the communities they live in not to start unnecessary fires that will damage the environment. The main purpose of the training was to improve their skills with the new technology, raise awareness within their communities, and teach them how to stop fires before they get out of control,” she said.

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shabalala said most areas are dry and fire can erupt at any time. They need people who are skilled at preventing those fires from damaging the environment. “We believe that this group of graduates will be very helpful to the community at large in stopping any fire that might erupt at any time,” she said. Nombuso Khubeka (31) of Mpumalanga said she had arrived at the centre uninitiated, but with the skills she has learned, she is ready to share the information with her colleagues at her base and with her community. “The issue of fire involves everyone, because it does not just happen in the bush, but also our communities. I am prepared to educate them about the prevention of fire and how to stop it. I must also say, as a woman, I encourage fellow ladies to join the trade, since it is currently dominated by men,” she said.

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