uMlalazi councillors want answers

TWO weeks after a Gingindlovu family watched helplessly as their home burnt to the ground when the fire department failed to turn up, councillors are now demanding answers.

Unable to respond to the disaster scene in time, fire and emergency services in the area told distraught family members last month there was reportedly ‘no driver for the fire truck’.

uMlalazi councillors have now called for an urgent report into the matter, detailing the ‘alleged inefficiencies’ of the fire department as reported by the public.

On Thursday, 27 March, Stella Govender and her four children, assisted by neighbours, frantically attempted to douse the fire with tap water at about 9am.

No one reportedly answered their calls to the local SAPS offices to alert the fire station of the situation. A community member drove approximately 1km to the Gingindlovu fire station to call them.

However, staff said they had ‘no driver for the big truck’ and two women subsequently arrived with a Land Cruiser, which could not produce enough pressure to effectively fight the fire.

After five minutes, one of the fire fighters, taken by a tow truck operator, returned to the fire station to fetch the larger fire tender. However, by the time she returned, the house was already burnt to the ground.

‘If they only responded in 10 minutes time, they would have saved the house,’ said a local resident.

Pumps

According to witnesses, the fire crew ‘seemed confused’ as to how to operate the hoses and pumps on the truck.

The public assisted them in connecting the fire hoses after the fire crew had connected the pipes incorrectly.

The larger fire tender was called from eShowe and arrived an hour after the fire had started. The second fire crew on the scene were also unable to start the water pump and the community had to assist.

Losing all of their belongings, the Govender family are now being temporarily housed at one of the recently completed low-cost houses.

With title deeds in the community reportedly outstanding for the past 20 years, it is not known whether the Govender’s home was insured.

Community member and relative Sonny Govender told the Zululand Observer the community had tremendously assisted the

local family with furniture and groceries.

Anyone wishing to assist the family, can contact Govender on 083 4392741.