Tallest building in South Africa no match for firefighters

BLOEMFONTEIN – Three members of the Mangaung Fire Department was part of a group of 50 firefighters from accross South Africa who took part in a race up 57 stories of a building in Sandton, Gauteng.

Participants took on the tallest building in the country: The Leonardo, a hotel standing 234m high.

The extraordinary challenge on 6 December was hosted in celebration of the 50th birthday of Charnaud, safety equipment suppliers.

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Russel van Deventer, local firefighter and participant, explains they received specialised gear for the race.

“The event comprised a timed individual stair climb from the ground level to the top of The Leonardo; wearing their own boots, and receiving bunker trousers and a jacket, firefighting gloves, a helmet, and breathing apparatus with which they participated.”

Van Deventer completed the event in 22:54 and came 29th out of 50. He was the 27th male; and, at 59 years old, the oldest participant.

The other two Mangaung firefighters did very well, with Masabata Shologu being the third woman, in position 32 out of 50 participants. Her time was 23:50.

Mmathebehae Tsosane was 9th out of all the women, and 46th out of 50. She finished in 34:48.