Port Elizabeth - The Democratic Alliance in Nelson Mandela Bay has dismissed an internal investigation by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as a “baseless” political campaign against its mayoral candidate Athol Trollip for assisting a fire crew to extinguish a fire that destroyed three homes in Port Elizabeth's Northern Areas.
Over the past weekend, while on the campaign trail, Trollip was on his way back from an event in Cleary Park when his group noticed a house burning near the Main Road in Windvogel.
DA councillor candidate for ward 32, Sandra Fillis said the DA was the first to arrive on the scene and immediately called the fire department for assistance.
“The DA was the first to arrive on scene, having deviated from the campaign trail after big plumes of smoke were seen from Standford Road, and immediately began assisting by calling the fire department, by dousing the flames and removing personal items.”
Fillis said that Trollip acted instinctively by dousing the flames firstly with buckets of water, and then with a hose found lying on the ground nearby.
“When lives are at risk, the more hands that can help, the better. When crisis strikes, caring leaders always jump in to help the community, which is exactly what Athol, myself and many others did. It is preposterous that any help or assistance at a time of crisis could be turned into a political campaign,” said Fillis.
But the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has since launched an internal investigation to establish whether the Fire Brigade Services Act was transgressed.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Fikile Desi, said that the investigation was of critical importance.
Desi alluded to Trollip using the situation as a publicity stunt and posing for pictures where flames and smoke were visible. “The suggestion that the officials needed help could also send the wrong message as the team deployed to deal with the emergency were sufficient and if help were required reinforcements would have been called for from one of the closest fire stations.”
He said that three fire engines with crews of at least four professionals per vehicle had been dispatched to the house on Saturday.
“Clarity is now sought if the Fire Brigade Services Act was transgressed as members of the public could easily emulate Mr Trollip's actions by attempting to extinguish a fire without protective clothing and the relevant training while professional men and women are at the scene,” said Desi.
ANA