WOF News
Eager to finish Matric
“It takes courage, dedication, hard work, commitment, passion and tenacity to study while working. I wish our participants who are writing both matric and tertiary examinations well,” says Assistant General Manager (AGM ), Mthandeni Malinga. Malinga says the...
Thapelo continues to serve the community
Thapelo Ramashobane started from humble beginnings as a firefighter and is now making his career at Tlokwe Local Municipality, where he is employed as a traffic warden in the Department of Public Safety. His job includes the normal traffic warden duties, as well as...
National Arbor Week launch
People from various communities around the Greater Tzaneen Municipality flocked to the Nkowankowa Stadium on 1 September to celebrate the launch of National Arbor Week. The event was hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in partnership with...
September Fires
After a quiet first few months of the current fire season, firefighters throughout the country were kept busy in September with fires in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Firefighters were kept on their toes in Limpopo, especially over the...
FireSafe workshop inspires launch of forum
Community members and volunteers from Stellenbosch who previously attended FireSafe workshops and presentations hosted by Community Fire Awareness Officer, Rayganah Rhoda, have formed a Fire Awareness Forum for the Stellenbosch area. Ten members of the forum,...
WOF provides hope and dignity through formal employment
Mamelong is an informal settlement situated next to the Vaal Dam, about 40 kilometres from Vereeniging. It is surrounded by farms and most of the community members who work are employed on the farms on a seasonal basis. ‘‘Working on Fire is the only formal employer in...
Teachers now FireSafe
KwaZulu-Natal Working on Fire, the Department of Education, WESSA and the Department of Rural Development hosted a Fire Awareness Workshop for over 40 Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers. The workshop was held at Vryheid Comprehensive School on 20 September....
Climbing with confidence thanks to HAT
Gcobisa Ngubombi, a 23-year-old Newlands High Altitude Team (HAT ) member, joined the HAT programme in February 2015. The High Altitude programme specialises in clearing alien plants on steep mountain slopes and ravines. It plays a vital role in...
Passionate about helping others
Zibele Bala, who joined the WOF programme in September 2015, was recently promoted to Base Communications Representative (BCR ) of the Newlands Team. The 27-year-old, who is originally from the Eastern Cape, goes beyond the call of a firefighter and is passionate...
A worthy mother
Refilwe Makola, a 47-year-old mother of five children and an ex-offender who became a firefighter tells her story of how Working on Fire restored her dignity. She says after being paroled by the Department of Correctional Services, she didn’t think she would ever be...
Female Crew leader aspires to be a nurse
Type 2 Crew Leader, Mpho Kgole, of Ditholo Team in Hammanskraal is now a qualified auxiliary nurse after completing her theatre training at Louis Pasteur Hospital recently in Pretoria. Mpho used some of the monthly stipend she gets from the WOF programme to pay...
Education is my only weapon left
“ Finally I am writing my matric examinations later this year. It has been a turbulent and trying journey. My mother does not have matric. I am honouring her by completing what she always wanted me to do,’’ said Elsie Molahlegi, a Type 2 Crew Leader at Roodeplaat...