Working on Fire | Implementing Committee

Implementing Committee

Representing FFA Operations Board:
Trevor Abrahams
Chris Austin
Johan Heine
Pieter van der Merwe
Fred Mokgope
Joseph Magagula
Goodness Lubisi
Luthfia Cader
Co-opted:
Val Charlton – FireWise Africa
Emile Grobbelaar - FFA Finance
Provincial General Manager representative

Executive Chairman FFA Operations: Trevor Abrahams

Trevor Abrahams, has been involved in the aviation industry since 1998 and has served as CEO of the Civil Aviation Industry for 6 years. Trevor is currently an independent aviation consultant and Chairman of FFA Operations board.

FFA Co-Managing Director: Johan Heine

Johan Heine the Co-managing Director of FFA Holdings Pty Ltd and Managing Director of FFA Aviation, is one of the most experienced fire fighting pilots in Africa. He assisted the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry with the drafting of South Africa’s veld and forest fire laws in 1989 and was instrumental in driving the development of Fire Protection Associations (FPAs) in South Africa.

FFA Co-Managing Director: Chris de Bruno Austin

Chris de Bruno Austin, is the Co-managing Director of FFA Holdings Pty Ltd, the CEO of the FFA’s Integrated Fire Management Services and CEO of Working on Fire International. Chris was part of the team that developed and then implemented the IFMS for the Working on Fire programme and was on the national sub-committee tasked with writing the minimum standard curriculum for wildland fire fighting and the accreditation of training institutions.

WoF National Ground Operations Manager: Piet van der Merwe

To date, Pieter has 30 years of experience in wildland fire fighting in both forestry and mountain catchment areas in the Western Cape, KZN, Mpumalanga and Swaziland. Pieter joined FFA in 2006 as Ground Operations Manager and is currently MD of FFA Operations Pty Ltd.

WoF National Programme Manager: Fred Makgope

Fred Mokgope has been involved in fire prevention and suppression since 1980. From 1986 to 1992, Fred trained supervisors and foresters in Fire Management and was the first in RSA to use and train on the Fire Simulator. Fred acted as Fire Branch Director in the two big fires of 2005 and during the Fire Storm of 2007. One of the things that inspire Fred at WoF is getting to see people’s lives transformed through meaningful and fulfilling employment opportunities.

WoF National Occupational Health and Safety Manager: Joseph Magagula

Joseph Magagula has been involved in facilitating training courses in Fire prevention and suppression as a training officer since 1984 within the commercial forestry sector. To date, he has 25 years of experience in wildland fire fighting and is currently managing the Occupational Health and Safety department within the Working on Fire programme. He is passionate about the wellbeing and safety of the beneficiaries within the programme since he joined WOF during April 2004.

WoF Programme Bookkeeper: Goodness Lubisi

Goodness Lubisi graduated with a B Comm. in Accounting degree in 2004 and then joined FFA Finance Department in October 2005. She has 5 years experience working with FFA finances. She did an Advanced Fire Fighting course in 2009 to enable her to help in the field if necessary because she is passionate about fire fighting.

HOD Advocacy, Communications & Social Dev: Luthfia Cader

Luthfia started her career, in 1998, with the South African National Botanical Institute. In 2001 she joined the Ukuvuka: Operation Firestop Campaign, a short-term project that arose after the devastating 2000 fires on the Cape Peninsula. In 2005 Luthfia joined the WoF family where she is best known as a “generalist”. Over the past 13 years she has lived out her passion of mentoring and developing staff.

Representing Government and Programme Partners:
Guy Preston – Department of Environmental Affairs, Natural Resource Management, Working For Water
Christo Marais – Department of Environmental Affairs, Natural Resource Management, Working For Water
Nceba Ngcobo – Department of Environmental Affairs, Natural Resource Management, Working For Water
Heinrich Munnik - Disaster Management
Ian Schnetler – Fire Chief City of Cape Town
Nonhlhanhla Mkhize – KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife
Pumeza Tunzi - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Malcom Procter – Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Free State
Simon Thomas – KZN FPA
Zane Erasmus – CapeNature
Goodman Chiloane – Cooperative Governance
Moses Khangale - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Jennifer Lekalakala - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Sharon Lawrence - Department of Environmental Affairs, Natural Resource Management, Working For Water
Nomvula Skosana – Cooperative Governance
Philip Prins – SANParks

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