Fire station excites Beitbridge residents
THE operationalisation of a fire station in Beitbridge town has ignited hope for the local community, which for many years, watched helplessly as lives were lost and property going up in flames.
In the past, Beitbridge Municipality relied on neighbouring Musina town in the event of fire related disasters.
The fire station is a component of the US$300 million Beitbridge Border Post upgrade and modernisation project, a partnership between Government and ZimBorders Consortium.
The project whose ground-breaking ceremony was presided over by President Mnangagwa in July 2018 and later commissioned in August 2022, is one of the key economic and developmental initiatives being spearheaded by the Second Republic in the Matabeleland region.
It has transformed the face of the border town and created over 2 000 jobs for locals in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030, which seeks to attain an upper middle-income economy.
The fire station and a new fire tender have since been handed over to Beitbridge Municipality.
In interviews, residents of the border town hailed the Second Republic for constructing the facility, saying it has boosted the local authority’s capacity to respond to disasters and risk management.
The fire station is strategically located and it was designed in such a way that it houses firefighters including the requisite equipment that enhances them to swiftly respond to emergencies.
Beitbridge town has three fire engines.
“The new fire station with its new fire equipment is very important in terms of mitigating the loss of lives and property, and for us as businesspeople, this facility comes in handy,” said Mr Mafios Macheka, the chairperson of the Beitbridge Informal Traders Association.
“For us as residents and businesses, we now have hope and trust that our council is ready to attend to fire disasters. However, if funds permit, there should be another fire station”.
A resident, Mr Raniel Ndou said the new facility is one of the major infrastructural developments that are critical for the border town.
He said it is also important for local stakeholders to strengthen their disaster response strategies.
“This infrastructure is very important as it enhances the safety of properties around town. It also boosts investors’ confidence. There is however a need to strengthen the disaster system by installing hydrants at business centres and other institutions to assist in the event of a fire outbreak,” said Mr Ndou.
Local businessman, Mr Chris Nguluvhe said the construction of the fire station was long overdue.
An academic, Ms Keabetsoe Malutha said that it was also necessary for residents to be taught basic disaster response skills to avoid the unnecessary loss of life.
“In some instances, people lose lives or get injured while trying to put out fires using unorthodox means hence residents should be encouraged to first report any fire incidents before trying to put out the fire themselves,” he said.
“Construction practices related to fire prevention and mitigation significantly increase the potential for conflagration hence there must be campaign awareness to educate the community about the risk factors such as avoiding selling flammable fuels in houses.”
Ms Malutha said going forward residents must be educated on how to dispose of any hazardous waste, and safe storage of flammable chemicals in buildings.
“Fire risk reduction requires well-articulated institutional measures to strengthen fire suppression capability, education and training. Strict regulations must be put in place,” she said.
Chairperson of the Beitbridge Business Expo, Dr Anna Muleya said they were excited to have a functional fire station in the town considering that previously the town relied on Musina for such services.
“Some years back, my property caught fire and we had to seek help from Musina. So, it’s vital for us as a community to have a functional fire station to safeguard our lives and properties,” she said.
“We need our businesses and houses to be protected in the event of a fire. It raises our hopes of safety now that we have such a facility. We must revamp our disaster response mechanisms around the entire district.”
In 2014, Beitbridge Border Post was temporarily shut down after a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) warehouse caught fire.
Impounded goods worth millions of dollars went up in flames in the inferno.
The blaze exposed Beitbridge’s lack of fire preparedness at the time with officials having to ask South Africa to help.