Fire and disaster management in Standerton is something to write home about.
A trustworthy source who wishes to remain anonymous, said on Friday, 18 September that the Disaster Management Forum met three times and then ground to a halt.
“I am just glad my house is not burning at this stage,” was the comment.
The story needs to be told backwards.
Ms Angel Khanyile, DA-Member of Parliament, said on Wednesday, 26 August that the fire brigade, among others, was an area of concern.
According to Ms Khanyile, two fire engines were paid for of which one broke down in Balfour.
The money is allegedly missing and R500 000 were allegedly paid up front for the two trucks, that did not reach their destination.
The workers at the fire brigade furthermore, were quoted as saying they go to work to answer the phone and have no protective equipment.
The Standerton Advertiser sent a WhatsApp-message to the communications manager of the Lekwa Municipality, Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, on Thursday, 27 August with regard to the money-aspect of the two trucks and is awaiting comment.
A fire engine arrived in town on 28 January and according to Ms Sithi Silosini, PR-councillor from the DA, it was the same truck that had mechanical problems in December.
An amount of R271 000 was paid for it.
Ms Mtshiselwa then said the truck was procured from Morafe Holdings in Gauteng and she would find out whether it was hired or bought, but no reply was received in this regard.
At the incident in Esdoorn Avenue in Kosmospark in November last year, vehicles did not arrive to attend to the fire.
Information suggested that the fire department vehicles were all grounded.
The newspaper asked Ms Mtshiselwa in October last year whether emergency procedures were in place in the event of a disaster, whether the fire brigade’s vehicles were grounded, whether an Isuzu-bakkie was in for repairs and whether council will discuss the situation as regards to the fire brigade.
During a fire in Mahala Park at the end of July last year, a family was left with only the clothes on their back when they had to extinguish a fire with hosepipes.
The fire brigade did extinguish a fire in Meyerville in July last year.
The petrol tanker that caught fire on the R546 also in July last year, put the spotlight securely on the issue, and according to a reliable source, the fire department’s vehicle broke and had to be towed back to town.
A jurisdiction issue then existed and the municipality indicated that emergency procedures were in place.
According to the source above, one bakkie was in for repairs, but financial considerations were at play.
Ms Sithi Silosini, DA PR councillor, issued a press release in June last year about the alleged under-resourced fire department in Lekwa.
“Shack fire incidents will be on the rise this season due to people keeping their homes warm with paraffin stoves, primus stoves and wood fires,” she said.
She also said fire and rescue services requires a minimum of seven fire engines and 130 employees and estimated that the department needs R56-mil to run effectively.
The Standerton Country Club caught fire in October 2018 and rebuilding is not yet finished at the club
The different views of Lekwa Fire Brigade’s chief, Mr John Kock and Lekwa Fire Protection Association’s manager, Mr Louis Kotzé were published in the newspaper of September 2018.
“We are trying our level best to make do with the resources at our disposal,” Mr Kock then said.
Ms Mtshiselwa previously said the fire station had an allocated amount of R12,1-mil that was supposed to have been implemented from the 2017/18 financial year up to 2019/20 financial year.
She added that the fire brigade has limited resources at their disposal and vehicles are old.
The municipality is busy with procurement of vehicles, following an Integrated Development Plan, a request was made to the Gert Sibande District Municipality for material needed, fire equipment has been prioritised in the new financial year and the municipality is waiting for assistance from the National Disaster Management Framework.
According to her, submissions had in the meantime been done for protective clothing.
Back to the present.
Taking into account the Covid-19 regulations and strike of municipal workers, the situation is, according to the DA, nowhere near satisfactory.
Ms Silosini said on Friday, 18 September that circumstances are now marginally better after the winter with shack fires that caused devastation, as far as lost lives were concerned and the subsequent damage to property.
Statistics as to the fatalities involved and number on incidents could not be confirmed.
Veld fires can also not be taken out of the picture.
Lekwa Fire Protection Association has regular meetings and the item on the agenda namely fire brigade, stands over till the next meeting.
“We can’t be without emergency and disaster services,” Ms Silosini concluded.
