BCC gets two water tenders donation

BULAWAYO City Council recently got a donation of two water fire tenders from Operation Florian Mission in Bulawayo which requested the local authority to fund the transportation of the equipment from the United Kingdom into the country.

The transport costs and others are expected to cost a total of the UK Sterling GBP£33,500.

This is revealed in the previous council minutes in which the Operation Florian Mission in Bulawayo wrote to council requesting the local authority to fund the shipping of donated fire fighting equipment comprising two water tenders.

The minutes state that the Chamber Secretary (Sikhangele Zhou) reported last month that the council had since 2010 been a proud recipient of donations of fire-fighting and rescue equipment from Operation Florian, a Britain non-governmental organisation that specialized in capacitating developing countries emergency services.

"To date, the Council had taken delivery of 17 fire engines, an ambulance, 9 x 20 foot containers filled with an assortment of firefighting and rescue equipment worth millions of dollars. The Chamber Secretary was in receipt of communication from the organisation wherein they proposed to make a donation as detailed hereunder; Two Water Tenders (DAF Trucks) from the United Kingdom to Bulawayo," read the minutes

The minutes state that the fire engines will be shipped from a United Kingdom port to Walvis Bay in Namibia. On arrival in Namibia it will be the benefactor's responsibility to arrange release and then transport them to its destination in Bulawayo.

"The documentation will be supplied by the shipping agent in the UK to the named person and address specified by Bulawayo City Council," they read.

The minutes state that cross shipping of two Fire Trucks from Leyland (UK) to Namibia will be £6,500.00 each and this totals to £13,000 for two. The requested donation for the two Fire Truck is £5,000 and for the container equipment is £11,500.00.

The donation will include Hand Tools, Hydraulic Rescue Equipment, Uniform, PPE, hand tools, PP- Portable Pumps, emergency lighting units, power saws, Cutting and Grinding machines and discs Standpipes, Small gear, BA Compressors, Tablets and Laptops for our GIS, Life jackets to name but a few.

The minute's states that the vehicle spares - a detailed inventory list will be sent while fuel costs/insurance in UK is £4,000 and the total Cost UK Sterling) GBP£33,500.00

"The relationship that Council enjoyed with Operation Florian had been very rewarding. It had seen Council getting fire tenders, firefighting equipment and gear that it would not have afforded in the current economic environment," read the minutes.

"Over and above that, modern firefighting techniques had been imparted to Council staffers in the training sessions that Operation Florian undertook. Service delivery in emergency services had indeed improved as a result of this relationship. Due to Covid 19, no training shall take place this time."

The council was therefore recommended to accept the kind donation of fire-fighting and rescue equipment from Operation Florian.

The local authority was also recommended to bear transportation and related costs for the donation to reach Bulawayo, a development which was considered by the council.