Government spent R14 million to build a fire station which was never used and has been abandoned for 10 years

The Mmamahabane fire station, built ten years ago for R14 million near the N1 national highway, has not been staffed or used and has been left abandoned.

The N1 national highway is a major route that spans 1,936 km from Cape Town, through Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Polokwane, to the Beit Bridge border with Zimbabwe. 

It is the second-largest route in the country and experiences heavy traffic, including large cargo trucks. 

The highway is ranked among the most dangerous routes in the country, known for its high fatality rate. 

In 2015, the Mmamahabane fire station was built at a cost of R14 million by the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to improve service delivery and emergency response times. 

The Matjhabeng Local Municipality falls under the Lejweleputswa District in the Free State province. 

The Municipality is controlled by the ANC, which holds 39 of 72 seats on the council.

The fire station is located in the township of Mmamahabane near Ventersburg, close to the N1 national highway. 

The fire station has never been used and has remained inoperable since its construction. 

Manie Pretorius from the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) expressed concerns about two deaths that might have been prevented if the fire station had been operational, given its proximity to the N1 highway. 

On 17 October 2026, two people died in a head-on collision near Ventersburg, and a truck was involved in another fatal accident on the N1 on 29 October. 

“There is no guarantee that it would have been possible to save the lives of the deceased,” Pretorius said. 

“However, the reality remains that injured persons have a much better chance of survival if they receive specialist care as soon as possible after the accident.” 

OFM reported that the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembeni Nxangisa, promised in June 2021 that the station would be operational. 

Nxangisa assured the community that renovations would be finished by the end of July 2021, and that the recruitment process for vacant positions was nearing completion. 

The Municipality’s spokesperson, Kgojane Matutle, confirmed the claim that the fire station would be opened soon. 

During a site visit in September 2021, Armand Cloete from the VF Plus found that there had been no changes at the fire station. 

Pretorius highlighted that when emergency fire and rescue services are needed in the area, they must be dispatched from Welkom, which is 50 km away. 

The VF Plus said it will continue to pressure the Municipality for answers about why the fire station is not operational and request a timeline for when it will be in service. 

“With the festive season and December holidays approaching, traffic volumes on the N1 are expected to increase sharply,” Pretorius noted. 

“This makes the need for a fully functional fire and rescue service in Ventersburg even more urgent.”