Fire is Matema’s passion
Single mother, Matema Gwangwa, currently holds the position of Working on Fire (WoF) Provincial Communications Officer and has been with the programme since 2011.
LIMPOPO – She says even though she worked in the hospitality industry since receiving her diploma in travel and tourism and even spent some time employed at Sun Meropa, she found her passion in communication.
“My job becomes challenging at times because I have to deal with 30 bases from different municipalities. It is especially difficult when it is fire season. One of the biggest challenges is getting all the information about the fire as fast as possible,” she explains.
A typical day in the life of a Communications Officer includes engaging with different media houses and equipping firefighters with communication skills so they can better communicate with bystanders at the scene of a fire.
“I don’t have any background in firefighting, but being the Spokesperson for firefighters, I learned to be quick on my feet and picked up a lot while working with them. I also attended various training sessions to better equip myself for the position.”
When she is not working, she tends to her motherly duties, spending time with her children. She has one daughter who is 11-years-old and two sons, aged six and three.
“I love playing netball when I have the chance and have loved the sport since I started playing it in school. Another pastime I indulge in is reading as it is something that brings me the most joy aside from my children. It helps me to relax and takes my mind off work for a little while.”
She says it is difficult being a woman in the firefighting industry.
“I am a single mother and I travel a lot for work. I realise that while chasing my career, I am losing out on quality time with my children. This makes being a mother in this line of work very difficult,” she explains.
Matema adds another difficulty she faces is the belief many people have that firefighting is a man’s job. “As a woman, you have to work much harder to prove you deserve to be in this line of work.”
She says although there is democracy and equality for women in South Africa, women still need to work harder than men to have their opinions count and be recognised.
“You may find women who are supervisors to men and the men will undermine her just because she is a woman. These are just some of the challenges we as women face but we are growing stronger every day.”
Her advice to women is that giving up is never the solution to a problem.
“If you give up, you are proving nay-sayers right.
“The best thing you can do is hang in there and be the best you can be and let negative words be the fuel that drives your success.”
Her message to residents is that they need to become aware of the risks involved with fires and equip themselves with information brochures and awareness programmes to better understand safety measures and warnings.
“I urge everyone to attend the fire workshops we host in their areas. It is at these workshops that the impact of fires are discussed.
“When residents equip themselves with knowledge they equip themselves with the power to help prevent fires that could endanger their lives and the lives of their loved ones,” she concluded.
