City firefighters bring home the hardware
13 October 2025
The City’s firefighters walked away with 13 gold, 11 silver and one bronze medal at this year’s Toughest Firefighter Alive competition held in George over the weekend.
Baigum Abrahams retained her title as the Toughest Female Firefighter Alive for the third year running, this time sharing the top spot with her colleague, Thobeka Senatse.
Abrahams also walked away with gold in the 30 - 34 age category, while Senatse won gold in the women’s 45 - 49 age category.
In addition, the two women joined by Nomvuyiseko Lungile and Andiswa Stafa, won gold in the women's relay. Lungile and Stafa added silver to their tally for individual categories.
In the men’s categories, Jermaine Carelse won gold in the 50 - 54 age category.
In the over 40s men’s relay category the team of Luton Grobbelaar, Jermaine Carelse, Mohammed Toufiek Armien and Rudi Van Der Berg won gold.
In the men’s open relay category, the team of Aneeb Moses, Bevan Jacobs, Timothy Malan and Clint Fredericks won silver.
Individual silver medals went to Timothy Malan in the 19 -29, Frank Forbay in the 55 - 59 and Rudi van der Berg in the 45 – 49 age categories. An individual bronze medal went to Luton Grobbelaar.
Volunteers from the City’s Disaster Risk Management also took part in the competition. Angie Geyser, stationed at Milnerton, won a silver medal in the women’s 19-29 category.
The competition tests firefighters’ mental and physical fitness and simulates firefighting scenarios.
More than 250 firefighters and 44 relay teams from across the country participated. They were joined by teams from Botswana and Namibia.
‘Their achievements at the competition just cements what we already know. They are some of the toughest, bravest and most dedicated women and men in the country. Congratulations to the team, who not only did us proud against their counterparts, but who have us saluting them every day as they step into the flames to save lives and property,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The winning firefighters are from the following fire stations:
- Thobeka Senatse – Kraaifontein
- Baigum Abrahams – Mitchells Plain
- Andiswa Stafa- Mitchells Plain
- Nomvyiuseko Lungile – Simons Town
- Timothy Malan – Hout Bay
- Aneeb Moses – Epping
- Bevan Jacobs – Constantia
- Clint Fredericks – Kommetjie Road
- Luton Grobbelaar – Wynberg
- Rudi Van Der Bergh – Lakeside
- Moegammad Armien - Hout Bay
- Jermaine Carelse – Goodwood
- Frank Forbay – Lakeside
- Angie Geyser – Milnerton
Caption 1: Jermaine Carelse.
Caption 2: Thobeka Senatse, Andiswa Stafa, Nomvuyiseko Lungile and Baigum Abrahams.
Caption 3: Aneeb Moses, Bevan Jacobs, Timothy Malan and Clint Fredericks.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
