The Mahikeng local municipality says it has no money to buy fire trucks or hire permanently firefighters who have been on contract for more than five years.
The municipality had one operational fire truck and another borrowed from the local airport last week to battle an inferno that engulfed the Mmabatho Palms Hotel. At least three other fire trucks have been away for repairs.
The state of the municipality's fire department has come under scrutiny after the massive blaze destroyed large parts of the iconic Mahikeng hotel last week.
Firefighters who responded to the inferno told Sowetan that not only were they called late to the incident but they also battled due to lack of equipment and capacity to put out the fire. The firefighters said they also do not have proper uniforms.
The hotel is situated just a few kilometres away from the town's fire station.
Mahikeng local municipality spokesperson Johnny Nkoane said on Monday: “We do not have a budget. Remember, one truck costs around R8m, however we are planning to buy them.”
Nkoane said he would check if there is enough money to hire the firefighters who have been on contracts for years.
“There are posts available but they will have to apply like any other person, but first we need to check if there is a budget for that,” he said.
Workers said management did not want to call them for overtime to manage costs of overtime, and this led to only about seven firefighters and interns responding to the fire last week. “Instead of calling us for backup, they called people who were an hour away from Mahikeng,” said one fireman.
The firefighters live in squalor in dilapidated barracks within the fire station where they said they did not feel safe.
The SA National Civic Association (Sanco) has called for an independent urgent probe into the functionality of the Mahikeng local municipality fire and emergency services.
Sanco chairperson Paul Sebegoe said: “While we are relieved that no fatalities or serious injuries were reported among hotel guests, we are extremely concerned that every fire that has occurred within the jurisdiction of the municipality has had a devastating impact on the local economy and provision of services.”
Sebegoe said the situation cannot be left unresolved and it is unsustainable as it puts critical public and private infrastructure in the provincial capital as well as lives that should be protected in the event of fire at great risk.
Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union's regional spokesperson Caroline Mkumbeni said some of the interns have been working for over five years on three-month contracts.
“This cannot be happening. We are requesting management to rectify all of this so that we can save the lives of our people,” she said.
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