The Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs M.S Barbara Thomson will lead the Working on Fire (WoF) Youth Month Celebrations on Friday 19 June 2015 at the Copesville Sports field, Pietermaritzburg.
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has contributed significantly towards creating work opportunities for young men and women in South Africa. Today more than 85 percent of the beneficiaries employed in the Working on Fire programme are from the age groups 18 – 35.
The Working on Fire Programme started with 25 teams (850 beneficiaries) in September 2003, and has now grown to its current force of over 5000 personnel spread across 200 bases in all provinces of South Africa.
The programme employs 31% females in its ranks of firefighters. This is highest level of female participation in any similar firefighting service in the world. In the recent Western Cape Summer Fire Season the youth from Working on Fire were the majority of the fire fighters that fought some of the worst fires in years.
Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Friday, 19 June 2015
Time: 10h00
Venue: Copesville Sports Field, Pietermaritzburg
RSVP:
Tshego Letshwiti
Cell: 076 307 9634
Email: tletshwiti@environment.gov.za
Muano Liphadzi
Tel: 021 441 2788
Email: mliphadzi@environment.gov.za
For media queries:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
