Sent to their deaths
There was no water in the government building that went up in flames last week and a firefighter says they had to fight the blaze – in which three of his colleagues died – ‘with their bare hands’ .
We had to fight fire with our bare hands, an emotional firefighter who survived the fatal Bank of Lisbon building blaze last week, told mourners yesterday at the memorial service of Simphiwe Moropane, Mduduzi Ndlovu, and Khathutshelo Muedi, who died in the incident.
Mzikayise Zwane and several other firefighters claimed they could not access water while fighting the blaze last week, leading to a 24-hour operation in which the defence force was asked to intervene.
Describing the horrific scenes he remembers from the day he watched his colleagues die, Zwane said he heard a window breaking before watching helplessly as Moropane plunged 23 stories to his death.
“I can’t even describe properly the way he looked after he fell. He was like mincemeat,” said Zwane.
He said the firefighter’s body was mutilated beyond recognition and he and his colleagues had to fish out his wallet in order to identify him.
Like many firefighters in attendance yesterday, Zwane blamed government for allowing people to work in a building which did not meet fire safety standards, including access to water.
“There was no water there. From the entrance at the bottom to the top floor, our members searched for water, but we could not find any. That is why our members died,” he said to a roaring crowd, angered by the details emerging from the podium.
While last week the city’s director of proactive services, Arthur Mqwa, blamed government’s failure to ensure the building met safety standards, the City of Joburg yesterday said it could not comment on whether firefighters followed the correct procedure before entering the building.
“That is the subject of an ongoing investigation, so we are not able to comment,” said city spokesperson Luyanda Mfeka.
Also speaking at the memorial, South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) president Zwelinzima Vavi vowed the group would mobilise against government, which he also blamed for the tragedy.
“We will not mourn, we will mobilise,” the union boss said. “Where have you seen a government sending its workers to work in a building that doesn’t have water?”
Meanwhile, the Public Servants’ Association (PSA) said it welcomed government’s decision to close down 14 Gauteng provincial departmental buildings in Johannesburg pending the outcome of a technical team investigation into their compliance with health and safety regulations.
“The PSA has been at the forefront for more than four years in the campaign to ensure the health and safety of employees and members of the public at provincial government buildings. Top managers and politicians in the province did not regard the issues as a priority,” said PSA provincial manager in Gauteng, Monica Venter. –