The funeral services of the slain Joburg Emergency Management Services fire fighters will be held over three days starting from tomorrow.
The three EMS heroes, Mduduzi Ndlovu (40), Khathutshelo Muedi (37) and Simphiwe Moropane (28) died last week while battling a blaze in the Joburg CBD.
Moropane will be held tomorrow, Friday, 14 September, at Oasis Family Church in Daveyton. Muedi will be laid to rest on Saturday, 15 September, at Lwamondo Dzwerani in Limpopo and Ndlovu’s funeral will be held on Sunday, 16 September at Doringkop Farm, Mavimbela Stand in Dannhausser, KwaZulu-Natal.
Hundreds of fire fighters paid tribute to the fallen heroes at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 12 September 2018. The wreath-laying ceremony was conducted outside Lisbon Bank building before a memorial service. Some of the victims’ family members were unable to contain their emotions when they arrived at the building where their loved ones lost their lives.
Fifteen firefighters in uniform made a guard of honour around three black crosses trimmed with purple ribbon.
City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba, Speaker Cllr Vasco Da Gama, Council Chief Whip Cllr Kevin Wax, Gauteng Housing MEC Uhuru Moiloa and Members of the Mayoral Committee were among the leaders who laid wreaths for the courageous trio that were killed in the line of duty.
Firefighters and emergency personnel then moved to the Ellis Park Arena where the official memorial service was held for their three colleagues.
“Every Johannesburg resident and the broader City of Johannesburg family should take over from fire fighters Moropane, Muedi and Ndlovu left off. At difficult moments like these, the bereaved often find comfort in the presence of colleagues, family, neighbours and friends but it is when we have all left that the reality of a loved one lost dawns,” said Mayor Mashaba.
“Today, as we mourn our brave heroes as well as to console their loving families and to celebrate their memory, let us also make a resolution, a commitment to ourselves and to one another. Let us commit to being worthy of the courage and bravery that they showed.”
Speaking on behalf of the fire fighters‚ Muzikayise Zwane told mourners that the man who fell from the 23rd floor was injured by the impact of the fall. “Their hands burnt because they were using them to defend themselves against the flames. There was nothing else they could defend themselves with because there was no water‚” he said.
Zwane said he had received a call from one of the men‚ and was told that they were trapped in the building and could not find their way out amid the flames. He had stayed outside the building‚ waiting for their instruction to turn on the water but when the group of fire fighters got into the burning building‚ they found that there was no water.
“They said the flames were strong and there was no water. One of firefighters phoned asked that I send a rescue team to help them because others were already hurt‚” Zwane said.
