A fire in Emfuleni exposes the municipality's collapse in addition to destroying homes. With only one operational fire truck covering several towns and fire stations in ruins, emergencies have become a lethal waiting game between survival and ashes.
The Star has learned from municipal insiders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, that Emfuleni's firefighting service is nearing collapse. The municipality struggles to keep up with ageing fire stations and vehicles that serve Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, and Vereeniging. Only one of the few fire engines that were once operational remains, and it is forced to rotate across three towns weekly.
It's estimated that Emfuleni has a population of nearly 800 000, with over 200 000 households.
The Vanderbijlpark fire station has literally crumbled, while others stand as hollow shells of neglect. Several trucks are idle, their licence disks expired and engines broken beyond repair, leaving residents defenceless.
The consequences have already been deadly. On October 19, a fire destroyed a pensioner’s nine-room house in Zone 10, Sebokeng Extension 3. Municipal insiders said the home “could have been saved” if help had arrived sooner.
Ward 36 councillor Mpho Kodisang described the incident as heartbreaking.
“The fire broke out just after the power was restored. We called firefighters several times but struggled to get through. The truck arrived after an hour, fought the flames until it ran out of water, and then had to drive to another extension to refill,” he said.
Sources later revealed the truck’s pressure pump failed mid-operation, further crippling efforts.
Kodisang has since called for Eskom and municipal officials to hold community sessions on fire safety and emergency response.
The crisis in Emfuleni has become so severe that neighbouring Midvaal Municipality has had to step in. Midvaal spokesperson Idah Satikhe confirmed that their team has been deployed to assist in areas such as Unitas Park. “There is a mutual understanding among Gauteng municipalities to provide cross-border support during emergencies, and Midvaal continues to assist wherever possible,” she said.
DA Emfuleni North Constituency Head Kingsol Chabalala described the situation as a full-blown crisis.
“The fire stations are in shambles, with broken toilets, leaking roofs, and unsafe buildings. Most trucks are unlicensed or out of service, leaving communities exposed,” he said.
Despite repeated attempts to contact Emfuleni officials, The Star only received written responses via the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). Through CoGTA, the municipality confirmed that only the Vereeniging and Evaton fire stations remain “fully operational,” though both face severe maintenance problems, including leaking roofs, broken doors and non-functional emergency lines.
Vanderbijlpark Fire Station, once the main hub, is now “partially operational” after its roof collapsed due to years of neglect.
“The roof collapsed because the supporting beams gave in after years of non-maintenance,” the municipality said, adding that a demolition certificate has been issued and a tender process is underway to clear the site.
Emfuleni said it owns four medium fire pumpers and three skid units, but only one is currently operational. Three trucks have expired licences, while one has a faulty water pump. “Three medium pumpers are not operational,” the municipality confirmed, noting that licence renewals submitted months ago remain stuck in Supply Chain processes.
“Once the licences are paid for and renewed, the vehicles will return to service. For now, the municipality is relying on a single functional truck to cover vast areas including Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Evaton,” it said.
A total of R561 000 has been redirected for vehicle repairs, while R10 million has been allocated for two new water tankers and R1.5 million granted by CoGTA for smaller vehicles and ground monitors.
The municipality admitted that unreliable telephone lines, including those in the emergency control room, contributed to the delay in the Zone 10 fire.
“The delay might have been caused by unreliable telephone lines to the control room,” it said, adding that poor water pressure and non-functional hydrants remain major barriers.
“Fire and Rescue is working on a project to clean and mark fire hydrants, but the issue of water pressure must be attended to by Metsi-a-Lekoa.”
On overtime pay, Emfuleni said it continues to compensate firefighters despite limited resources.
“In 2015, the municipality entered into an interim collective agreement to pay for extra hours accumulated while on duty, including meal intervals,” it said. R27 million has been budgeted for firefighter overtime in 2024/25.
Responding to claims that staff lack proper tools, officials said, “Proper safety gear has been supplied. The only limitation is having operational vehicles at all times. The vehicles are fairly new.”
Admitting to failures in hazardous-materials response, the municipality confirmed its only Hazmat unit, a makeshift truck built by staff, has been out of service for over three years.
“Fire and Rescue has requested through fleet management the procurement of a fully equipped Hazmat unit in 2025/2026,” it said, noting that current incidents are handled by Sasol or external agents.
The Provincial Disaster Management Centre’s Fire Services Directorate said it continues to support Emfuleni “in executing its legislative mandate,” in line with Sections 154 and 155 of the Constitution.
CoGTA also disclosed that over R22 million was allocated by the Gauteng Fire Service Directorate to assist Emfuleni Local Municipality in strengthening and improving its fire services between 2020 and 2025.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za