By Estie Senekal | DA Councillor Dihlabeng Local Municipality
Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Estie Senekal and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL. Please see the pictures here, here, here, and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Dihlabeng Local Municipality will push for urgent intervention to address the severe shortcomings within Bethlehem’s fire department. The critical lack of resources and operational failures place residents, businesses, and firefighters at grave risk.
Bethlehem only has two operational fire trucks, while two others remain out of service, which is supposed to service over 90,000 people. Firefighters last repainted the buildings themselves in 1988, with no further maintenance since. One fire truck’s ladder is non-functional, making high-rise firefighting impossible.
A fire truck’s pump was removed years ago and has never been replaced. The Jaws of Life sets are outdated, with the last service recorded in 2013. Firefighters lack essential protective clothing and gloves. There is no functional telephone system at the fire station due to a municipal contract issue unresolved for over five years.
The main fire station’s roof is deteriorating and at risk of collapse. The department operates with only eight firefighters per shift, rather than the required three-shift system.
Without proper municipal support, local farmers have been stepping in to assist during fire emergencies. Previously, regular coordination meetings were held between firefighters and farmers, but these have ceased. The DA is calling for their reinstatement to improve emergency response.
Dr. Roy Jankiehlson has formally requested that firefighting equipment from Working on Fire, currently unused in Bloemfontein, be reassigned to local teams. Given the severe understaffing, he has also proposed training volunteers to provide additional support.
The DA will escalate these issues to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and submit a formal complaint to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).
If these unsafe working conditions persist, the Department of Labour may be forced to shut down the fire station entirely.
The DA urges authorities to act immediately to ensure that Bethlehem’s fire brigade is adequately equipped and staffed—failure to do so could lead to devastating consequences in the event of a fire emergency.