After four years without a fire chief, the City of Joburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) has appointed Andries Mucavele in the post. Mucavele was welcomed to the new role on Thursday during a ceremony at Florida Park fire station.
The event was attended by senior management and officials from the City. The newly appointed fire chief has pledged to tackle challenges the department faces such as improving response times for fire engines and dealing with the increasing number of fires.
The event was graced by City of Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, the City’s MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku, City Manager Floyd Brink, Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) acting chief Sam Sethagu, as well as other officials and fire chiefs from various parts of the province.
Mucavele, who brings a wealth of expertise and possesses over 23 years of experience, acknowledged that the department is grappling with challenges and has pledged to address them.
He explained that some of those challenges encompass issues such as response times for fire engines and the rising number of fire incidents in the CBD.
“Firstly, the issue of responding fire engines remains a challenge, and the numbers of fire incidents especially in the CBD is a challenge. These are some of the things on my table that need to be addressed.
“Indeed after this we will exercise the programmes that must come in place and (be) implemented in order to deal with the issues,” Mucavele said in an interview with a local broadcaster.
EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said that after four years without leadership, they now have someone to report to, lead them, make decisions, and help propel the fire department forward.
“He is well experienced and has a very good track record and also his leadership capabilities put him in a very good position to lead this organisation,” Mulaudzi told the broadcaster.
Meanwhile, MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku welcomed the appointment of the new EMS boss, expressing confidence that his extensive experience will enhance stability and improve the city’s emergency management services.
Tshwaku said that Mucavele, who holds a qualification in Fire Technology, and has 23 years of experience within the EMS, started his career as a firefighter and rose through the ranks.
“His career started as a firefighter and worked his way up the ranks, occupying crucial roles such as divisional chief, director of operations and now chief of EMS. His wealth of knowledge and experience will bring about much needed stability and improvements in the city’s emergency management services,” Tshwaku said.
“With Mr Macuvele’s distinguished background, experience, and commitment to public safety, we are confident in his ability to lead our emergency response with diligence, compassion, and effectiveness.”
He added that during crises and emergencies, the city depends on the expertise and leadership of individuals like him to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of the residents.
“His vision for proactive emergency preparedness and swift response protocols aligns seamlessly with our commitment to serving the people of Johannesburg. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Chief Macuvele on his appointment and express our unwavering support as he assumes this crucial role which has been vacant at EMS,” Tshwaku said.
IOL