logo
Crèches are now ready to fight fires

Crèches are now ready to fight fires

The Citizen20-06-2025

Crèches are now ready to fight fires
Tshwane has delivered fire safety equipment, including serviced and upgraded extinguishers, hose reels and hydrants, to nine early childhood development centres in regions 3 and 6.
This comes after a routine inspection by the DA caucus's Section 79 Community and Social Development oversight committee, chaired by Phuti Kwenaite.
'Recently, we pointed out there are maintenance elements that have been neglected in Tshwane's ECDs.'
She said the fire extinguisher problem was supposed to be addressed two years ago.
Kwenaite highlighted the significant risk posed when fire extinguishers are neither present nor functional.
'It is a big risk for the extinguishers not to be there and functioning.
'This is why the fire department took some time for some of these ECDs to open.'
MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi confirmed that Tshwane has completed the servicing and upgrading of fire-fighting equipment, with a sharp focus on ECD centres.
She said the initiative, executed by Group Property Management, ensures full compliance with national safety standards, specifically SANS 10400 Part T (fire safety) and SANS 1475 (fire extinguishers).
Marodi added that these mandate the installation, maintenance and servicing of portable fire suppression equipment.
'It includes the maintenance of fire extinguishers, hose reels, and hydrants and forms part of the city's annual fire safety programme.'
She said these maintenance efforts signal a broader shift in Tshwane's multiparty coalition prioritising the safety of employees, children and communities.
Marodi added that maintaining a safe workplace supports an efficient municipality and reflects Tshwane's commitment to this principle.
'Reinforcing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards remains pivotal to protecting employees and service users.
'This intervention forms part of an ongoing effort to strengthen internal systems, promote compliance, and safeguard infrastructure, all aimed at delivering reliable and dignified services to residents.'
ALSO READ: Mamelodi youth punches back at crime through boxing
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App
Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sewage pollution, vandalism to keep Nelson Mandela Bay beach closed until summer
Sewage pollution, vandalism to keep Nelson Mandela Bay beach closed until summer

Daily Maverick

time4 days ago

  • Daily Maverick

Sewage pollution, vandalism to keep Nelson Mandela Bay beach closed until summer

Six months down the line, New Brighton Beach in Nelson Mandela Bay is likely to remain closed until summer as the metro works to rectify sewage pollution and vandalism at the popular seaside facility. In December 2024, the Nelson Mandela Bay metro closed New Brighton Beach due to dangerous levels of contamination after vandalism led to a sewage spill at the nearby Fishwater Flats Sewage works. On Thursday, metro spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the beach would be opened 'before the upcoming summer season'. However, he said that since the closure, beach facilities had been vandalised and the damage would be repaired only in the next financial year. 'The repairs to the Fishwater Flats Water Treatment Works are envisaged to conclude by the end of this month,' he said. Soyaya said the beach would be reopened once there were 'satisfactory results regarding levels'. According to the Auditor-General's report into municipal finances for 2023/2024, Nelson Mandela Bay was the only metro that received a regional bulk infrastructure grant, which is aimed at improving bulk water and sanitation infrastructure. The metro, however, underspent the grant by 41% due to two capital projects that were not launched because of 'implementation challenges', the report said. In its budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, the metro said: 'The Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) has been allocated to the municipality only for the 2025/26 financial year to the amount of R390-million. This grant was firstly allocated to the city with effect from the 2023/24 [medium term], to deal with water drought-related issues that the city has been confronted with and will, with effect from the 2026/27 financial year, be no longer made available to the City.' Cable theft Final treated effluent is released from Fishwater Flats at two points: New Brighton Beach pier and Papenkuils River canal, but the theft of electrical cables that supplied power to the plant and essential equipment interrupted the treatment process of this effluent. In turn, this led to a massive spill of raw sewage into the sea. It has been reported in municipal statements that R18.8-million has been spent to repair Fishwater Flats. In October last year, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Sello Seitlholo visited the facility. He said the water treatment works had 'experienced major destruction to a cost of almost R5-million; the repair is estimated to cost four times that. This has heavily impacted the work being done, which in turn impacts the quality of water being treated and discharged. 'I am fundamentally concerned about the level of vandalism and theft that is happening here. The municipality is losing a couple of million due to theft, and to replace that, it costs them four times what is lost,' he said. 'Dysfunctionality' The DA's mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay for the upcoming local government elections, Retief Odendaal, said the problem went further than Fishwater Flats. 'Wastewater treatment facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay continue to face serious challenges, exposing the complete dysfunctionality of the current ANC-led administration. Years of neglect and failure to maintain, upgrade, and protect critical sewerage infrastructure have led to persistent pollution of our waterways and coastline. 'While the municipality claims that pollution levels are now acceptable and plans to reopen the beach at the end of June, our inspection today indicates that this is highly unlikely,' he said. The municipality did, however, indicate on Thursday that it would open the beach only 'before summer.' 'I have now written to the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, urging her department to intervene directly in Nelson Mandela Bay and assist in bringing all wastewater treatment works up to the required standards,' Odendaal said. Among the findings made against the municipality by the Auditor-General was that none of the wastewater treatment facilities has valid licences. 'Given the municipality's track record of failing to provide transparent and reliable water quality data, we have called on the minister's department to conduct its independent water quality testing at New Brighton Beach,' Odendaal said. The municipality doesn't make water quality results public unless it receives a Promotion of Access to Information Act application. 'Dangerous contamination' In March this year, ASC Consultants published an independent report showing that between November and December last year, the sea at New Brighton Beach was dangerously contaminated. According to the report, its results showed 'high contamination levels [that] posed significant health risks to beachgoers'. This was on 2 November. Two weeks later, the numbers had come down, but were still high. In December, contamination shot up again. Analysts compiling the report for ASC warned that sewage pollution was now 'posing severe health risks to swimmers and require[s] immediate remedial action.' A test after the beach was closed showed record-high contamination levels. Analysts issued another warning: 'This beach exhibited alarmingly high levels of contamination in the third trial… These figures exceed the Blue Flag standards by 40 and 92 times, respectively. Such extreme contamination levels suggest a direct influx of untreated sewage, likely exacerbated by an ageing infrastructure and stormwater runoff. 'The health risks here are severe, rendering the beach unsafe for recreational use. Community members who use this beach for spiritual purposes, as observed during one of the visits when samples were collected, are at significant risk of exposure to waterborne pathogens,' the report concluded. Odendaal said the DA would do its own sampling. 'The problems are not limited to Fishwater Flats. Sewage spills, failing stormwater drains and dysfunctional wastewater facilities are widespread across the city. The municipality bears primary responsibility for this persistent pollution, and the people of Nelson Mandela Bay have a right to expect transparent reporting and urgent action,' he said. DM

Waterkloof resident beats city to the fix
Waterkloof resident beats city to the fix

The Citizen

time4 days ago

  • The Citizen

Waterkloof resident beats city to the fix

A fed-up Pretoria east resident this week took matters into his own hands by repairing a pothole right in front of his home on Sidney Street on June 21. Waterkloof resident Bennie Berger said he first reported the pothole on the municipal portal on April 25. He said a response promised repair within 24–48 hours; however, two full months passed. 'Cars drive through it nonstop; you can hear the thud from inside the house,' he said. Frustrated, he took matters into his own hands. Over a single weekend, he purchased 12 bags of asphalt mix (R150 each), a compactor (R400), tools, and even a warning cone, completing the repairs in just a couple of hours. Beger added that the total cost was about R2 200, though he emphasises he shouldn't have to pay at all. 'It looks very decent and problem solved,' Berger said. However, he believes this small gesture underscores how far municipal systems have fallen. He said residents pay rates and taxes, but they are deprived of essential services like road maintenance. 'When basic services are not delivered, it creates frustration,' he said. 'If you report these things, feedback is given; we patiently wait and understand. But nothing gets fixed.' Berger added that he isn't suggesting residents should do municipal services but rather augment capacity in the face of backlogs. He said the Tshwane metro should have open discussions with residents and keep them updated. 'Play open cards with us and give us comfort that the money we are paying is being looked after.' Despite growing community action, Berger warned that goodwill shouldn't degenerate into self-reliance. 'If there's a backlog, let's assist, but we can't be the permanent solution.' For him, this is more than saving cars from tyre damage, but about preserving faith in the social contract that taxes fund essential services. Ward 82 Councillor Siobhan Muller supports Berger's move. She said she reported five potholes on Murray Street between Rupert Street and Brooklyn Road, of which only one was addressed. Meanwhile, some of the residents were complaining about freshly repaired potholes reappearing within weeks in the area. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

72-hour blackout a hoax
72-hour blackout a hoax

The Citizen

time5 days ago

  • The Citizen

72-hour blackout a hoax

The Tshwane metro is warning residents not to fall victim to misinformation, following the circulation of fake messages of a possible 72-hour blackout in Pretoria. According to Tshwane, the message claims that some of the key areas that will experience a total power cut include Arcadia, Brooklyn, Centurion and Hatfield. 'Tshwane can categorically confirm that no such message was officially issued by the city, and that no such outage is planned,' said metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba. Bokaba said the city is currently dealing with multiple outages affecting regions 3 and 4 and is doing its utmost best to ensure power restoration to the affected areas as quickly as possible. He issued a stern warning to people who spread false information. 'Peddlers of such misinformation, whose aim appears to be to create panic and anxiety among consumers, are cautioned to desist from spreading such misinformation, which borders on spreading propaganda, which is a prosecutable offence,' Bokaba said. LISTEN: Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store