Mystery surrounds suspensions of George fire chief, disaster manager

In a surprising move, the George municipality has suspended its fire chief and disaster manager, Neels Barnard, and the commander of its main fire station, Santa Sternsdorf.

The reasons behind these suspensions remain shrouded in mystery with the municipality saying it cannot comment on internal matters.

"George municipality, as per our policy, does not provide comments on internal matters about officials," spokesperson Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe told Cape Argus.

Asked why the municipality was being so opaque, newly appointed mayor Browen Johnson said he had flagged the matter with the communications team as well as the office of the municipal manager.

He said the issue will be addressed in a press statement on Monday.

"The communications department will issue an official statement on Monday addressing this matter," Johnson told Cape Argus.

The Patriotic Alliance's (PA) Brendon Adams said the timing of the suspensions was suspicious.

“This is really a bad time seeing this is one of the busiest seasons that George has ever had and its fire season as well, where most of the fires occur in this area and where their expertise are needed," Adams said.

"But I’m also glad to tell the public that the fire department of George has a lot of officials that are trying to step up and fill in the shoes of them."

Barnard and Sternsdorf were heavily involved in the rescue efforts after a multi‑storey building under construction collapsed in George in May 2024.

A five‑storey residential development on Victoria Street caved in suddenly, killing 34 construction workers and injuring dozens more as concrete and scaffolding came crashing down.

Sixty-two workers were on site.

Emergency crews, including firefighters and disaster management teams, worked around the clock through a complex search‑and‑rescue operation to pull survivors from the wreckage and recover bodies from the rubble.

Scores of rescuers, sniffer dogs and heavy equipment were deployed as relatives anxiously waited nearby for news of loved ones, and authorities continued to search for anyone still trapped under the debris.

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Cape Argus