Msunduzi firefighter rated among the toughest in SA
Being a firefighter may be a life threatening job but Zandile Shezi would not have it any other way.
Shezi, from Pietermaritzburg was recently voted as one of the best firefighters in the Toughest Fire Alive South Africa (TFASA) in the women’s division.
The competition tests fitness and skills levels among firefighters to determine the best in the field across the country.
She came second to Baigum Abrahams from Cape Town.
“Even in the afterlife if the chance presented itself, I would choose being a firefighter because although physically demanding, it is equally a very soulfully rewarding job,” she said, adding that even on her days off from work she would jog for not less than 10 kilometers.
Shezi’s determination and exploits were shared during an Msunduzi Municipality council sitting last week where the team of firefighters received certificates from Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla.
The firefighting team from Msunduzi ranked seventh out of 53 in the country in the competition held at De Bakke beach in Mossel Bay in September.
Shezi, 39, described herself as a fitness fanatic, this illustrated by the fact that before joining the fire department in 2014, she had been working as a gym instructor at Virgin Active in Pietermaritzburg.
“My fascination with being fit started during my teens. I was in the local female soccer team and continued to exercise in order to keep fit, so when the chance to volunteer in the fire department came up, preceded by a fitness test, it was pretty much a walk in the park for me,” Shezi said.
Although she applied to the department in 2011, she was only called for the interview and recruited in 2014, when she had long- forgotten about her application.
She described her first year as a firefighter as the most demanding one, owing to the fire emergencies which they had to respond to on a regular basis in 2014.
And 10 years later, Shezi still loves her job.
The firefighter recalled the message of gratitude that she and her team received from a family in Imbali township a few weeks ago.
“That family was grateful in that we had managed to save their car and other items including the house.That is a very rewarding feeling when you see the hope that we bring upon arrival on the scene and the great deal of relief when we leave,” Shezi said.
The ‘Toughest Firefighter Alive’ (TFA-SA) Open, a competition in its 9th year, is based on the international Toughest Firefighter Alive Challenge and is run under the auspices of the Firefighters for Excellence Foundation – SA.
The aim was to promote and encourage elite fitness amongst firefighters, acknowledging the critical role fitness and wellness plays within the firefighting profession, in ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities.