By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Image Supplied.
The historic Komani Town Hall, which houses the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, went up in flames overnight.
Eastern Cape police confirmed that they have registered an inquiry docket for investigation.
Police spokesperson Thembinkosi Kinana says the cause of the fire in the historic Town Hall is not yet known.
“SAPS members were patrolling the area when they noticed smoke coming out of the building, they went to investigate and they found municipal offices and the hall on fire. Firefighters were immediately called to extinguish the blaze but at that time extensive damage had already been incurred. We had not made any arrest nor injuries were reported at this stage,” says Kinana.
Kinana urged anyone with information to phone the Komani police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has expressed sadness at the fire that ravaged the historic Komani (Queenstown) Town Hall in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province.
In a statement, the Committee said it was devastating to lose such an important and historic infrastructure as well as all the documents and archives that were housed in that building.
The committee said it understands that the cause of the fire was yet to be established and there was an investigation by the South African Police Service that was currently underway.
It also plans to ask the municipality to provide a report on the cause of the fire once the source of the fire has been established.
The committee urged municipalities to maintain and take care of infrastructure and assets that are under their responsibility.
“As stipulated in MFMA Circular No.71, the total repairs and maintenance expenditure of a municipality should at least be 8 percent of the carrying value of the municipality’s Property, plant and equipment and Investment property,” it said.
The committee also noted with concern that the implementation of the recommended National Treasury norm of 8 percent continues to elude most municipalities.
“The poor levels of spending on repairs and maintenance, as well as asset renewal, warrants considered attention, as inadequate investment in municipal infrastructure and its maintenance will make it difficult for municipalities to recover from disastrous incidents such as the Komani Town Hall fire,” reads the statement.
Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape has condemned what it called ‘the ongoing neglect of municipal infrastructure’ in Komani after the Town Hall caught fire on Friday evening.
DA-MPL, Jane Cowley says this was the fourth building in the town damaged by fire.
She commended the Community Police Forum and all other volunteers who made every effort to save the building and prevent the flames from spreading to other buildings.
Cowley said it is disturbing that all four buildings that have been gutted by fire in recent months, contained valuable and sensitive municipal records.
She added that the fire engine, which was waiting for repairs in October last year when the art gallery burnt down, is still without an engine and the municipality alleges they have no money for repairs.
Cowley said she will write to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Xolile Nqatha, to request a full investigation into the fire and the previous ones which destroyed municipal assets in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality.