GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality did not deny rumours posted on social media that its fire chief and disaster manager, Neels Barnard, and fire station commander, Santa Sternsdorff, have been suspended.
A post on the Georgiete Staan Saam Facebook page mentions Barnard’s suspension and another post, by Brendon Adams, former MMC for Community Safety, mentions both the officials.
Adams writes that George Municipality “should answer why the two were suspended”. He mentions that they are two “of the most experienced senior fire officers who basically built George fire department the way it is today”.
The municipality’s response to a query from the newspaper was, “George Municipality, as per our policy, does not provide comments on internal matters about officials.”
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) in September honoured the municipality for outstanding humanitarian and rescue efforts during the Victoria Street building collapse, under the leadership of Barnard and Sternsdorff.
Sternsdorff was also in the spotlight after she was published in the Journal of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), International Edition, in the August 2025 issue. The municipality in a statement at the time said she had authored a detailed summary of the Victoria Street building collapse and the rescue operation.
Adams told George Herald, “I’m worried that the fire chief and a senior fire official have been suspended during the fire season, a time when their expertise and experience are most needed. I hope justice takes its course. Fortunately there is a large pool of experience in the fire department.”
Barnard could not be reached for comment. Sternsdorff said it is an internal process and she is therefore not allowed to comment.
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