Employees at fire-gutted Botha Sigcau building set to be relocated

Employees at the gutted Botha Sigcau building in Mthatha are set to be relocated to alternative workspaces, following a blaze that ravaged their offices.

It's been two days since a fire destroyed the historic building, affecting government offices belonging to nine departments.

To date, the cause of the inferno is yet to be established, with the Hawks taking over the investigation.

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After over 48 hours since the fire gutted the building, the area remains hazardous for investigators to do on-site work.

As a result, authorities said it may take longer for assessments to be conducted.

They said the blaze has also caused a service delivery backlog, as departments cannot function.

Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Siphokazi Lusithi said heads of departments and district directors will be consulting their workforces for alternative offices.

“The alternative accommodation we are opting for is purely government-owned in this vicinity of Mthatha primarily and, secondly, the rest of the OR Tambo region.”

The affected workers will be offered psychological counselling, beginning on Friday.