Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Paseka Mokoena and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Eleanor Quinta.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will take formal action by submitting written questions to the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality to establish when the urgent refurbishment of the QwaQwa Fire Station will begin, when new fire engines will be acquired, and whether the station’s surveillance system will be reactivated.
This action follows an oversight visit by DA councillor Ana Motaung, Jafta Mokoena MPL and I, after reports of delayed responses to fire emergencies.
Upon arrival, the delegation was met with shocking conditions: severe infrastructure decay, including a dangerously deteriorated control room ceiling that was on the verge of collapse. The fire station, once a source of community pride, now stands as a symbol of municipal neglect.
Critical staff shortages, both in management and among firefighters, further hinder the station’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies. Rather than prioritising the urgent refurbishment of this vital facility in its Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP), the municipality has instead opted to construct a new fire station in Harrismith.
While investment in new infrastructure is welcome, it is worth noting that Harrismith already has an existing fire station building that could be refurbished and reopened at a significantly lower cost. The area that urgently needs a fire station is Kestell, where a local facility would significantly improve emergency response times and save lives.
During the inspection, the delegation also discovered a state-of-the-art surveillance system installed at the QwaQwa station. If operational, this system could play a key role in early fire detection and crime prevention. Similar systems were installed by the Free State Development Corporation (FDC) in local industrial zones; however, their current non-functionality has undermined safety efforts, most notably during a recent ATM bombing, which could have been potentially prevented had the surveillance systems been active.
We will formally pose the following questions to the municipality:
- Are there any plans to refurbish and revitalise the QwaQwa Fire Station? If so, when will this begin?
- Are there plans to acquire new fire engines? If yes, how many, and when will they be delivered?
- Is there a strategy to repair and reactivate the station’s surveillance system? If so, what is the timeline?
Additionally, DA Councillors have requested that Jafta Mokoena, MPL, raise questions in the Provincial Legislature regarding the FDC’s intentions to revive the surveillance systems at municipal facilities to secure the industrial area. Creating a secure environment is critical to attracting investment and rebuilding confidence among potential investors.
As the DA, we firmly believe the residents of Maluti-a-Phofung deserve better services, better infrastructure, and a municipality that puts their safety first.