Matobo district welcomes new fire brigade through devolution fund

The Matobo Rural District Council has received a new fire brigade truck, a major boost to the district’s emergency response capacity.

The fire tender was procured through the government’s Devolution Fund and imported from Belarus.

Ward 19 Councillor, Nqobizitha Ngwenya, confirmed the development, noting that the truck had been stationed at Bulawayo’s Famona Fire Station for nearly a year while local firefighters underwent training.

“This fire brigade was brought through the Devolution Fund that comes through government. It was brought in from Belarus. It has been sitting at Bulawayo’s Famona Fire Station for the past year while we were training our firefighters,” said Cllr Ngwenya.

“Bulawayo City Council handled the training, and our firefighters graduated last week. They are now ready, willing, and have the spirit to fight the fire emergencies that we have in the district.”

According to the councillor, the newly trained team comprises six young firefighters, two women and four men, who were equipped with skills by seasoned Bulawayo City Council instructors.

“They are very young and energetic, and we are confident they will provide excellent service to the community,” he said.

Cllr Ngwenya also revealed that the local authority has made budgetary provisions for the truck’s upkeep in the 2026 budget, with each household contributing one dollar toward maintenance costs.

“In our proposed budget, each household will contribute a dollar for maintaining the fire truck,” he explained.

While awaiting emergencies, the firefighters will be temporarily absorbed into various council departments such as security, administration, and resource monitoring, to make use of their diverse skills.

Cllr Ngwenya emphasized that the fire tender will serve the entire Matobo District, not just the town board, and will be instrumental in responding to increasing fire incidents, some reportedly linked to the growing use of e-cars.

“We’ve had a few cases of house fires caused by e-cars. This truck will come in handy in containing such emergencies,” he added.

Local resident Omega Majahana expressed joy over the development, describing the arrival of the fire brigade as “paramount” to community safety.

“I was glad upon hearing that Maphisa has received a fire brigade truck. It is of great importance to any community as it helps in attending to fire-related emergencies, providing equipment and preventing the spread of fires,” said Majahana.