0 of 2
Fire swept through three buildings and four police vehicles in Mthatha at the weekend, destroying the offices of several law firms, part of the Madeira police station and a string of shops.
The Elphil Properties building which houses Home City China Best Price and Dunns Clothing Store as well as the neighbouring five-story Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) building at York Road were affected.
Home City China Best Price was gutted and Dunns Cothing suffered smoke damage.
Offices of the Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco) national headquarters at the ECDC Building were also smoke-damaged.
Lawyers, shop owners, managers and other staffers watched helpless as the raging inferno reduced stock and files to ashes while firefighters battled to kill the flames.
The blaze left many without jobs.
Damages are estimated to run to millions of rand. Lawyers’ files, including those of active court cases, were destroyed.
OR Tambo police district commissioner Major-General Phumzile Cetyana said an inquest had been opened.
“Four police vehicles have been burnt and our archives office has been affected,” Cetyana said.
He said the fire had not affected the police station’s daily operations and service delivery.
Though ECDC tenants claimed the fire had started from the police station, Cetyana disagreed.
“Patrolling police members saw flames at Home City China Best Price in York Road at about 12.15am on Saturday and called firefighters.
“The fire quickly spread to the police station and the ECDC.”
The ECDC building at the corner of York Road and Elliot Street is mainly occupied by lawyers, accountants and other businesses.
At least 21 offices, most on the second and third floors of the ECDC building have been affected.
Attorney Ndumiso Kanise was distraught.
“I have lost everything. The [office] furniture and all files are burnt. I am left with nothing,” Kanise, whose offices are on the third floor, said.
“ Even a fridge is destroyed. This is a huge blow to me.”
Sivuyile Mhlawuli, of SR Mhawuli & Associates lost a huge section of files.
“Our main concern is that clients’ files have been destroyed and it will be very difficult to update, report on and prosecute clients’ cases.
“This will have a devastating impact on the employees as they will inevitably lose their jobs.
“In many offices, files, furniture and valuable working equipment have been destroyed, leaving those affected with nothing to do and nowhere to turn.
“Files, office furniture and valuable equipment have been destroyed by the fire and water used during the extinguishing of the fire,” Mhlawuli said.
He urged the government to intervene “as there is a high possibility of loss of jobs due to the disaster”.
“It will take a very long time for some of the businesses to recover.
“Community members who were on the scene informed us the fire broke out at the Madeira police station at about 1am on Saturday.”
King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza said: “Firefighters who were off-duty and those on leave were called to assist and they managed to save surrounding shops and other offices in the ECDC building.”
The municipality is worried about the increase in fires that destroy business buildings and infrastructure.
Isanco president Dr Zukile Luyenge said: . “It is sad that no fewer than 200 people employed by these businesses will lose their jobs. The loss is calculated at millions of rand.”
Luyenge expressed concern about the decaying state of buildings in Mthatha, including the ECDC building.
Mthatha ratepayers and the business community fear the hazardous ECDC-owned 64-room Windsor Hotel in Sutherland Street, which has been declared unsafe for human occupation, poses a fire risk.
The hotel was previously identified as one of about 120 government properties in Mthatha which had been hijacked and were being run by a syndicate.
The Saturday fire brought to 11 the number of well-known buildings that have been gutted by mysterious fires in the town since 2021.
This is the fifth historic building to burn since 2021.
The Lewis Stores building was burnt in 2020.
The Transkei Hotel (built in the 1970s) in Elliot Steet was burnt on March 12 2021.
The Grosvenor Hotel (built in 1952) on the corner of Sutherland and Madeira Street was razed on July 28 2021.
Jimmy’s SuperSPAR in Sutherland Street was burnt on May 30 2023.
The 71-year-old Umtata Pharmacy and Lillian Bedding building in York Road was gutted on June 23 2023.
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.