By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Caption: A firefighting helicopter drops water during a wildfire at Sofiko near Corinth, Peloponnese, Greece, 17 July 2024. Picture for illustration purposes: EPA-EFE/VASSILIS PSOMAS.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has confirmed its contractual relationship with TEFLA Group for a period of five years.
TEFLA Group was appointed as the service provider for the period 1 August 2026 to 5 January 2028, being the balance of the original five-year advertised tender period.
The department confirmed that the contract is valued at R1 801 735 586.61 including value-added tax (VAT).
Working on Fire has sought an urgent interim interdict to halt the DFFE’s decision to award a multibillion-rand national wildfire management contract to the Tefla Group.
At stake is the structure and continuity of the Working on Fire programme, which both parties described in court papers as critical to wildfire prevention and suppression capacity across all nine provinces. The Working on Fire programme is implemented through a public-private partnership between the department and the Kishugu Group.
Working on Fire argued that implementation of the award before judicial review was completed would cause irreparable operational disruption, including the loss of established firefighting infrastructure, aviation capacity and Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) employment linked to the programme.
The department, however, contended that delaying or suspending implementation of the award would itself undermine national wildfire-response readiness and destabilise an essential public safety system.
The dispute arises from a 2022 contract for the five-year implementation of the Working on Fire programme, which was initially awarded to Working on Fire.
That award was set aside in April last year after a challenge by rival bidders, including the Tefla Group and the SA Youth Movement–CEF joint venture, after the court found that bidders had not been treated fairly.
The High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria), in case numbers 60450/2022 and 66779/2023, issued an order on 1 April 2025 directing the Department to re-evaluate bid DFFE-T041 (22/23) from phase 4 of the five phases of the approved and advertised Terms of Reference (ToRs).
The DFFE full statement reads as follows:
The Department was obliged to implement that order. Following the re-evaluation, TEFLA Group (Pty) Ltd was ranked first on the Price and Preference Points System and met the requirements stipulated in the advertised ToRs.
Importantly, the court order allowed the previous agreement, concluded with the Kishugu/Working on Fire (Pty) Ltd Joint Venture (WoF JV) to remain in place, until the new agreement took effect. This ensured a structured transition and avoided any interruption in firefighting support.”
The Programme, its terms and its people
TEFLA Group is contractually responsible to the Department for the delivery of the services in accordance with the concluded contract, the applicable Terms of Reference, Special Conditions of Contract and other applicable contractual requirements.
The WoF programme continues to be delivered on the same ToRs that were advertised, with the same objectives and deliverables: the creation of work opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), training of the EPWP particpants, support for fire prevention and suppression, ground and aerial firefighting support, support to FPAs, community and school fire-awareness engagements.
Capacity, aviation and subcontracting
On aerial resources: following the issuing of the award letter, the Department conducted a readiness assessment and physical verification of aerial resources before the new agreement took effect.
On subcontracting: the successful bidder submitted its proposal with the intention of subcontracting to designated groups, in accordance with the requirements of the advertised ToRs. All subcontracting arrangements under the agreement are subject to the Department’s prior written approval and to the mandatory subcontracting requirements and implementation will be monitored by the Department for the duration of the contract.
The Department’s focus remains on the performance of the contracted Working on Fire programme and TEFLA Group’s fulfilment of its contractual obligations to DFFE.
DFFE will continue to manage the contract in accordance with the applicable contractual, procurement and Supply Chain Management requirements.
Matters before the courts and dispute processes
Aspects of this tender remain subject to ongoing legal processes. The Department is therefore not able to comment further on those matters, and will not do so while they are pending. This includes questions relating to the adjudication record and to disputes between the parties concerning the previous agreement, which are being dealt with in the forums established for that purpose.
Conclusion
The Department implemented an order of court, followed the prescribed procurement processes and verified readiness before the new agreement commenced. Its overriding priority remains uninterrupted support for the protection of lives, livelihoods and the environment during the respective fire seasons.
The Department considers the matters raised in recent media enquiries to be addressed in this statement and will not be commenting on matters that are subject to legal process.