Half-mast flags honour firefighters

Council and entity flags will fly at half-mast in honour of the three firefighters who lost their lives battling the deadly blaze at the 23-storey Bank of Lisbon building in the CBD last week.

Firefighters Simphiwe Moropane, 28, Khathutshelo Muedi, 37 and Mduduzi Ndlovu, 40 lost their lives last Wednesday while battling the fire that took three days to extinguish. The building houses the department of health as well as the department of human settlements.

Speaker of council Vasco da Gama and Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba requested flags to be flown at half-mast during the mourning period.

“We thank you for your selfless service and dedication. Your names and all the other names of our fallen heroes will forever be etched in stone at the foot of our flagpoles,” said Da Gama. “My deepest condolences, once again to the families, friends, and colleagues of Joburg’s finest.”

Da Gama made it clear that the national flag “must not be half-masted as only the President can give that instruction”, adding the national flag would not be hoisted at daylight until after the mourning period. – ANA