Attacks on Cape Town firefighters cause for concern

“We witnessed one of the most blatant instances when residents of Siqalo attacked firefighters responding to an incident in November last year. The delay resulted in 15 structures being destroyed by fire instead of the four that were alight when the fire and rescue service teams arrived,” he said on Sunday.

What appeared to be an isolated incident at the time had subsequently escalated into an untenable situation. Between January 1 and April 4, at least 17 incidents were recorded in Klipheuwel, Khayelitsha, Retreat, Vrygrond, Dunoon, Elsies River, Manenberg, and Nyanga where fire and rescue vehicles were stoned, forcing staff to retreat from the areas in question and robbing residents of a potentially lifesaving service, Smith said.

“During the incident in Elsies River in March, firefighters were responding to vehicles set alight during a protest sparked by the funeral of a gang member in the area. One of our staff members was hit by a stone and sustained a shoulder injury as a result.”

In Mfuleni just weeks later, a number of firefighting vehicles were damaged as protesters vandalised the building and threatened staff on duty. As a result of that incident, operational staff had to be moved out of the area.

“However, far more sinister and malicious have been the nearly a dozen incidents – most of them in Imizamo Yethu and Masiphumelele – where crews have had fire hoses cut or taken at knife-point or have been physically attacked while they’ve been on the fire line,” Smith said.

“In what universe does anyone prevent a firefighter from doing their job and saving lives and property, unless that person has an agenda? Could it be linked to ongoing battles over land and housing, or the disaster relief that the city distributes (we are the only administration in the country to do so)?

“While some protesters might enjoy their new favourite pastime of attacking our firefighters, the impact on service delivery cannot be overstated. Damaged vehicles and injured firefighters mean that there are fewer resources to respond to fires and other incidents.

“When we have to close a fire station for any amount of time as a result of damage or threats to staff, it delays the response to any incidents that occur during that closure when resources have to be dispatched from other areas. When residents physically prevent firefighters from doing their jobs and force them to leave the area, they are placing lives and property at risk,” he said.

Organising armed escorts for firefighters under threat in volatile situations or areas meant crime-fighting resources were being pulled out from areas where they were needed most and created an enforcement deficit.

“The Constitution guarantees the right to protest, but the level of violence and destruction that have become commonplace in so many instances, along with the unprecedented attacks on rescue and emergency services, cannot be tolerated or allowed to go unchecked.

“I appeal to communities to show restraint and highlight their grievances without resorting to violence, threats, or intimidation of the very people who risk their lives on a daily basis in service of others,” Smith said.