City council fire tenders outdated

tenders and equipment.
The city argues that it has no money to buy new fire tenders or repair the existing fleet.
Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda who recently requested Government permission to build the long awaited Kunzvi, Musami and Mazowe Dams, knows what should be done to revamp the Fire Brigade.
However, it seems he is not applying the same vigour and zeal to dangers of a fire outbreak in the capital.
Last week he said Government had no capacity to build the dams implying that Harare could raise the money.
Property owners paying rates to the city feel Mr Masunda should apply the same passion when dealing with the city’s emergency response equipment.
On Monday Mr Masunda spelt out what was needed to be done in Harare.
“We need to replace all the fire tenders and ancillary equipment, which are past their sell-by date.
“We need to conduct a dispassionate appraisal of what is there now in consultation with the original suppliers of the specialised vehicles and equipment with a view to refurbishing those units that can be salvaged,” he said.
Mr Masunda said the city would have to restore its capacity to attend to fires within 15 minutes of being alerted.
Early this year, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo urged local authorities to “mainstream civil protection matters in their medium to long term plans.”
The message urged councils to start budgeting for the purchase of the fire equipment.
He said Government had previously negotiated with the Japanese Government for the donation of 50 fire tenders of which 22 council have so far benefited.
In March this year, chief fire officer, Mr Sevias Mugavha, painted a gloomy picture inside his department’s operations stating that 95 percent of “our equipment has outlived its lifespan. The last purchase of fire tenders was in 1990,” he said.
This means the city’s fire equipment is 21-years-old and manufacturers could have phased out some of them.
Harare attends to fire incidents within its boundaries and as far as Chivhu, Headlands, Bindura, Chinhoyi and Mutoko.
The situation is worsened by the fact that the city’s ambulances are down. Only three ambulances out of 25 are on the road.
Harare requires 16 fire tenders but at all times less than half are working.
Only recently did Harare repair its specialised vehicles that deal with fires in high rise buildings.
Over £56 000 were used to repair the five vehicles, which last operated 10 years ago.