DA fumes as municipal fire truck is used as a 'taxi'

The Upington municipality is allegedly using a firefighting truck as a taxi service for shift workers despite the costly vehicle being needed for emergencies. 

So says councillor Henk Opperman of the Dawid Kruiper municipality.

This was discovered after a fire broke out at an Upington business this week.

He said: “The DA learnt that the truck was in Rosedale dropping off shift workers when we reported the matter [fire]. While the truck still managed to reach the fire quickly, the matter remains a cause for concern. This is not the first time the fire truck has been caught ferrying personnel around.”

Months ago DA councillor Flip van der Steen raised the same matter in a council meeting, where it was unanimously agreed it must be urgently halted.

Alternative transport was arranged for shift workers.

“However, the intervention seems to have been short-lived,” said Opperman, adding the DA would table a motion at the next council meeting requesting that better controls be put in place to manage the use of the truck and for disciplinary action to be taken against anyone making wrongful use of the truck.

The misuse of the fire truck rang alarm bells about the alleged abuse of municipal resources and the readiness of the disaster unit to attend to emergencies, Opperman said.

The Northern Cape is in the midst of fire season and some destructive blazes had occurred over the past few weeks, he said.

“In emergencies, seconds count. Fire services must be ever ready to put out blazes and should not risk being caught off guard by performing unnecessary functions.

“The fire truck is also very specialised and is an expensive vehicle to operate. The fire truck’s fuel must be preserved for emergencies, and wear and tear must be minimised to prolong the use of the truck for the sole purpose of putting out fires.”

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