By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
A total of 21 firefighters drawn from Beitbridge Municipality (MOB) and Beitbridge Rural District Council (RDC) graduated on Thursday at the Beitbridge Municipality Fire Station.
The group comprises 15 men and 6 women, with 15 officers from the Municipality and 6 from the RDC. The firefighters were trained by the Air Force of Zimbabwe.
The graduation ceremony was officiated by the Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Albert Nguluvhe.
In his address Nguluvhe underscored the importance of partnership and collaboration between the RDC and Municipality, urging the two local authorities to continue working together in serving the community.
“The power of partnership and collaboration between the RDC and the Municipality is key. I urge you to continue working together as one team to serve the people of Beitbridge.”
He said Beitbridge is a strategic position as a border town and noted that the deployment of 21 trained firefighters would strengthen emergency response capacity.
Nguluvhe encouraged the graduates to make full use of their training and to uphold professionalism in their duties.
He also commended the Air Force of Zimbabwe for its role in capacitating the local authorities and called on residents’ associations to educate communities on fire prevention, particularly discouraging the storage of flammable substances such as fuel in homes.
Speaking at the same event, Air Commodore Kingsley Zimbudzi said the Air Force remains ready to support local authorities in various initiatives requiring technical assistance.
“The Air Force of Zimbabwe is ready and willing to work with local authorities in all endeavours that require our assistance,” he said.
Beitbridge RDC Chief Executive Officer, Kiliboni Mbedzi, described the initiative as the beginning of a strong and successful collaboration between the two local authorities. She said that the addition of a new fire tender enhances the district’s disaster management capacity.
“We have six firefighters and the Municipality has 15. If we collaborate effectively, we can significantly improve service delivery,” he said.
Councillor Emmanuel Takutaku, who represented the Mayor, applauded the RDC for initiating the program and engaging the Air Force for training support.
“We are proud to have produced a team of 21 firefighters as a result of this collaboration. We will continue working together to ensure the safety of our community,” he said.
During their 2 months training, the firefighters responded to two major fire incidents at Mashavire Market and a residential property in Ward 2 providing an opportunity for trainers to assess their readiness and operational capabilities.