DA Urges Tshwane Municipality to Accept Court Ruling on Private Fire Brigades
- The Democratic Alliance (DA) is urging the Tshwane municipality not to appeal a high court ruling that dismissed its application
- The city recently took Fidelity Secure and the Sinoville Firefighters’ Association to court, seeking a ruling that their private fire brigades are unlawful
- The Pretoria High Court rejected the application, stating that existing law does not regulate or ban private firefighting organisations
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
The DA is urging the Tshwane municipality not to appeal a high court ruling which dismissed its application to have private firefighting services operating in the capital deemed illegal.
Municipality not to appeal High Court
The city recently took Fidelity Secure and the Sinoville Firefighters’ Association to court in an attempt to have their private fire brigades declared unlawful. The High Court in Pretoria dismissed the application, noting that there is currently no legislation regulating or prohibiting private firefighting entities.
DA caucus leader in Tshwane, Cilliers Brink, said it was misguided for the municipality to take the matter to court when private firefighting entities are stepping in to address the city’s shortcomings. Brink pointed to an incident earlier this year in Klerksoord, where voluntary firefighters were allegedly blocked from responding to a fire despite Tshwane’s own fire brigade requiring assistance. He said the DA is urging the municipality not to waste further public funds by appealing the ruling, but instead to work cooperatively with private and voluntary fire services.
Source: Getty Images
Other stories about the DA
The battle to become the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) is reportedly set to intensify. The party will host its Federal Congress in April 2026, when the party's leadership will once again be contested, with John Steenhuisen confident he will retain the top spot, as he confirmed that he will be in the running for the post next year. While Steenhuisen remains confident, recent reports indicate that some within the party are eager for change. Leadership nominations for the Federal Congress open in the second week of January 2026.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has laid charges against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, as it is alleged that he lied to Parliament about his relationship with businessman Brown Magotsi. According to the DA, Magotsi is reported to have links “to serious criminal syndicates and political interference in the police service”. The charges were laid at the Cape Town Central Police Station. It comes as the effects are still being felt after KZN Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made allegations against the minister of having ties to a criminal syndicate.
DA investigating Steenhuisen over recent allegations
Briefly News reported that the DA has confirmed that it was investigating the party leader, Steenhuisen. Steenhuisen is in hot water as he faces allegations of misusing his DA-allocated credit for personal use.
The party's spokesperson stated that the party's Federal Executive will investigate the allegations against Steenhuisen.
Source: Briefly News
