Court Throws Cold Water on Tshwane’s Attempt to Sideline Volunteer Firefighters

The City of Tshwane’s attempt to push volunteer firefighters out of emergency response has gone up in smoke.

In a ruling handed down this week, the Pretoria High Court firmly rejected the metro’s case against the Sinoville Firefighting Association (SFA), finding no legal grounds to declare the volunteer group’s operations unlawful. The court not only dismissed the city’s arguments but ordered Tshwane to foot the legal bill.

A clash over control and credibility

At the heart of the dispute was the city’s claim that volunteer firefighters were overstepping their role. Tshwane argued that the SFA operated illegally, disrupted official command structures at emergency scenes, compromised incident management and lacked public accountability.

The court wasn’t convinced.

Judges found that existing legislation does not prohibit volunteer firefighting associations or even private firefighting services from operating. The only clear boundary, according to the ruling, is that these groups may not interfere with the formal powers granted to municipal fire brigades under the Fire Services Act.

In other words: helping is allowed. Taking over is not.

Community firefighting fills real gaps

For many Tshwane residents, especially in areas like Sinoville and the city’s northern suburbs, the ruling feels like common sense catching up with reality. Volunteer firefighters often arrive first when response times are stretched thin a situation worsened by staff shortages, aging equipment and the knock-on effects of load shedding on municipal services.

On local WhatsApp groups and social media, residents welcomed the judgment, praising volunteers who “show up when sirens don’t” and questioning why the city would try to shut down extra help during emergencies.

AfriForum responds

AfriForum disaster management specialist Tarien Cooks said the organisation will now formally ask the city to withdraw previous communications that discouraged cooperation between municipal fire brigades and volunteer groups like the SFA.

She noted that the court made it clear: firefighting services provided by volunteers and private businesses are lawful, provided they don’t obstruct official authority.

“This decision is in the interest of all South Africans,” Cooks said. “When municipalities fall short on vital services like firefighting, communities step in. The answer isn’t conflict, it’s cooperation.”

A warning and an opportunity

Beyond the legal win, the ruling sends a broader message to municipalities across the country. Community-led safety initiatives aren’t a threat by default, they’re often a response to service delivery gaps.

Tshwane now faces a choice: continue fighting volunteers in court, or start working with them on the ground, where fires don’t wait for jurisdictional debates to be settled.

{Source: The Citizen}

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