By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Maluti-a-Phofung has welcomed the adoption of the District Municipal Fire Bylaws, describing the move as a critical step toward enhancing fire safety and protecting communities, especially with the onset of the dry winter season.
The bylaws were officially adopted during an ordinary council meeting held on May 8 2025.
DA councillor Richard Khumalo emphasized the importance of proper implementation through a formal service level agreement with the district municipality.
“This step is crucial for enhancing fire safety and protection in our communities. However, effectively implementing these bylaws hinges on a service level agreement with the district municipality,” Khumalo said.
During the council meeting, the DA raised questions around how the bylaws will be operationalized. The party queried the number of fire safety officers needed and the availability of vehicles to support their operations.
According to Khumalo, the executive mayor cited budgetary constraints but assured the council that efforts are being made to allocate the necessary funds.
With the winter season approaching – typically marked by increased incidents of household and veld fires – the DA has vowed to monitor the implementation of the bylaws closely.
“Adequate fire safety measures are crucial for our community’s well-being,” said Khumalo. “We expect the municipality to prioritize allocating necessary resources to ensure the successful implementation of the adopted bylaws.”
Echoing this sentiment, Maluti-a-Phofung local municipality’s communications manager Thabo Kessah described the adoption of the bylaws as a significant milestone.
“This is quite an important milestone that coincides with the winter months that are expected to pose serious challenges with both household and field fires, as has been our experience during this time.
“The bylaws are designed to assist with fire prevention, firefighting, and emergency response. We believe the bylaws will help in facilitating prevention of the outbreak or spread of a fire; the fighting or extinguishing of fire; the protection of life and property against a fire or any other dangers, as well as rescuing of life or property from a fire or other threatening situations.”
Further explaining the legal framework, the manager of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality’s emergency services, outlined that while the district has developed and gazetted the fire bylaws, it is the responsibility of each local municipality to adopt them through a council resolution and implement them as their official fire policy.
“To implement the bylaws after they’ve been Gazetted, municipalities must also adopt and submit a charge sheet to their local magistrate court. The charge sheet is what outlines the penalties for bylaw violations. However, magistrate courts have jurisdictional limits – for example, if the charge for not having a fire extinguisher is R5,000 but the local court only handles fines up to R3,000, then such a case must be referred to a regional or high court.”
He added that different magistrates in the district may approve different versions of the charge sheet based on their jurisdiction. “The municipality must take the charge sheet to the relevant magistrate court for approval to ensure enforcement aligns with legal requirements.”
As the region braces for the winter fire season, residents and stakeholders will be watching closely to see if the new bylaws and their supporting structures translate into real safety improvements across communities.
