Calls for policy reform after Tshwane rejects private firefighters

The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality refused the assistance of private firefighters when a fire broke out at a tyre factory on Saturday (August 16).

The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused the city of sending the firefighters away, “despite needing all the help they could get”. 

According to party spokesperson Ally Makhafula, the city’s fire engines struggled to get access to water hydrants while the private fire brigade had a fire engine with water ready. 

Tshwane municipality’s MMC of Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, responded to these claims in an interview with eNCA, confirming that the private firefighters were barred from assisting in putting out the fire.

However, he said that the claims regarding the municipal responders’ access to water were incorrect. “We had 57 firefighters on site, with five water tankers and two fire engines,” he said. 

He added that the city could not accept assistance from the private fire brigade as they did not have the designated permission to operate in the area. 

Coetzee explained that the city’s policy on private firefighting requires a private fire service to apply to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, requesting permission to carry out these emergency services. 

Each company must be approved by law. Coetzee explained that this approval process is in place to ensure the safety of civilians and firefighters. 

However, Coetzee said that when the company is granted permission by the government, it is limited to a small designated area. 

The DA called on the city to update the outdated regulatory framework around private firefighting and create a clear, modern licensing system that allows capable private services to operate legally in support of municipal responders. 

Makhafula said that the DA has been calling for these interventions for some time prior to the latest fire. 

While the DA recognized that the regulation of private firefighters is necessary, it condemned the city for obstructing potentially life-saving services while municipal emergency responders face resource constraints. 

“Tshwane’s fire brigade includes excellent, dedicated professionals — but they are being asked to do more with less, while the need for fast, effective emergency response grows,” the party said. 

This comes a month after the City of Tshwane took private security company Fidelity SecureFire for acting unlawfully in providing emergency firefighting services.

Civil rights organisation Afriforum called the court case a “short-sighted attack” on private fire services. 

The rise of the private emergency industry

South Africa’s private emergency medical services and security industries have already become flourishing industries as more citizens turn to the private sector for emergency assistance when municipal services are insufficient. 

According to statistical analysts Horizon, the South African private ambulance industry is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%, reaching the value of $657 million by 2030.

The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority published in its 2024/2025 annual update that the private security industry has continued to grow alongside increasing demand for private and corporate security.

The authority emphasised, however, that collaboration with the South African Police Force (SAPS) has been vital and “needs to be strengthened”.

South Africa’s two largest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, have both been accused of resource shortages in firefighting services over the last year.

The city of Johannesburg has recently acquired two new fire engines in an attempt to address a crucial shortage of equipment. 

In January this year, the city reported having only half the number of fire trucks needed to effectively attend to all emergencies. 

Additionally, GOOD Party Cape Town councillor Roscoe Palm warned in April that Cape Town municipal firefighting services are losing capacity and expertise due to understaffing. 

In facing these challenges, CoGTA recognised that the future success of municipal emergency fire services hinges on collaboration with the private sector in a 2024 presentation on the state of Local Government and fire services. 

Despite this, regulations that require private companies to request permission from the department to operate, and limit them to small patches of land, remain in place.

“Until the regulations are changed, we have to comply with them,” Hannes Cotzee said. “For those who want to see this changed, I suggest you submit a petition to parliament.”