New Cosmo fire station welcomed with protests

"Not even the army would stop us from opening the Cosmo City fire station."

These were strong words from Johannesburg MMC for public safety Michael Sun yesterday at the official opening of the station amid protests by locals who claimed they weren't prioritised for jobs.

The new fire station took two years to build and cost the city about R33.5-million.

It has features such as a fire truck, a swimming pool, ambulances, medical equipment and quarantine facilities.

Residents protested outside, demanding to be heard on their grievances over lack of jobs for locals.

"We are told that there are seven people in our community that were hired, but we do not know them," said local resident Theresa Nkosi.

Nkosi said although she wanted service delivery in her area, she felt community members should be prioritised for employment.

"My child died because an ambulance took four hours to reach us. We are happy about the station but unhappy about being excluded," she said.

"We're not only complaining about skilled jobs such as firemen, but even cleaning work. We were not given a chance."

Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said meetings were held with community leaders to address their concerns.

However, the Cosmo City Progressive Youth Development Forum chairman Sibongiseni Ndlangalavu said the city did not revert to them after their initial meeting.

"We were shocked to see adverts about the opening."

Local councillor Mapule Mosito blamed lack of communication on yesterday's disruptions.