Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University has recognised the increasingly important and challenging role of fire in natural resource management by launching a Higher Certificate programme in Veldfire Management in 2014. This is the only focused veldfire management programme offered anywhere in South Safrica, and possibly Africa.

The Veldfire Management programme (one year full-time or two years part-time) is aligned with the other programme offerings within the School of Natural Resource Management at NMMU’s George Campus.

The programme objective is to educate and equip learners to enable them to contribute to the dynamic discipline of natural resource management by managing veldfires strategically and tactically under guidance of a senior manager. 

The qualifying learner will be competent to work as a veldfire manager in government, municipalities, non-governmental organisations such as fire protection associations, as well as within the forestry and conservation sectors.

The programme draws from various short learning programmes and modules from other Natural Resource Management programmes, as well as the forestry, conservation and agriculture industries. At least 40% of the programme has been developed from scratch.

Students in the first intake include people who matriculated last year, as well as those with degrees or diplomas. There is one foreign student this year.

A maximum of 25 students are allowed to register per intake group. This means that 50 students will be accommodated in 2015 - 25 on the part-time course and 25 on a fulltime basis.

Plans are in place to convert the programme into a full National Diploma in 2017 or 2018.

There is still space for a few students for the 2015 course – applications open until 5 December 2014.

Enquiries for applications:
Natalie Goodman Du Plessis
Email: natalie.goodman@nmmu.ac.za
Tell: 044-8015194