Questions mount over building safety after Botha Sigcau fire

The historic Botha Sigcau building in the Eastern Cape was destroyed overnight, marking a significant loss for the country.

The 11-storey building, which houses several government departments, was engulfed in flames on Tuesday evening.

RELATED: Firefighters still battling to contain Botha Sigcau building fire

Bantu Holomisa, Deputy Minister of Defence and president of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), said the disaster destroyed a treasure trove of archival resources.

"This is a structure that stands as a cornerstone of our country's political and administrative history.”

He expressed deep concern about the impact of the fire on the community and service delivery.

“The UDM's concern is the people. That building housed departments like SASSA, which deals with the poor of the poorest; it deals with licensing and so on. A lot was accommodated in that building.”

RELATED: Eastern Cape government services disrupted after Botha Sigcau building fire

The fire has raised questions about the maintenance and upkeep of the building.

Holomisa pointed out that even before the tragedy, the building was in a state of disrepair, with wires hanging from the ceiling and no electricity or water in some areas.

“The Public Works Department needs to issue a statement as to what happened,” he said.

To listen to Holomisa in conversation with 702 and CapeTalk’s Mandy Wiener, use the audio player below: