City council flags fly half-mast following the tragic death of firefighters

The Head of Protocol and Ceremonial Services Marcel Coutriers, upon request from the speaker of the council and the executive mayor, has instructed all facility managers of the various council-owned buildings in the city to fly all council and entity flags at half-mast, reported North Eastern Tribune.

Coutriers said: “We will remember this period when the city not only lost three firefighters but also three fathers, husbands, and colleagues. These men, as well as all the men and women in our Emergency Management Services (EMS) leave their homes daily, not knowing whether they will return home safely. They risk their lives on a daily basis to ensure that we are safe as the citizens of Johannesburg.”

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Coutriers thanked the three firefighters who lost their lives for their selfless service and dedication to the City of Johannesburg EMS Department.

“Your names and all the other names of our fallen heroes will forever be etched [in] stone at the foot of our flagpoles where you will be commemorated annually by the citizens of Johannesburg. My deepest condolences once again to the families, friends, and colleagues of Joburg’s finest.”

The flags will be half-mast for the mourning period before the burial ceremonies. The national flag must not be half-mast as only the president can give that instruction. If a national flag is next to a council flag then the national flag must not be hoisted at daylight until after the mourning period.

The firefighters who lost their lives are:

• Firefighter Simphiwe Moropane, 28
• Firefighter Khathutshelo Muedi, 37
• Firefighter Mduduzi Ndlovu, 40

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