Firefighters still battling to contain Botha Sigcau building fire

Firefighters are still battling to contain a fire that has ravaged most of the Botha Sigcau building in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

The historic building, which houses nine government departments, has been engulfed in flames since Tuesday evening.

Members of the provincial government's executive will be visiting the area on Wednesday to assess the damage.

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The building, named after the late Amapondo king, Botha Sigcua, has been a heritage site.

It seems 10 floors of the 11-storey building are completely gutted, with only parts of the first floor damaged.

The King Sabata Dalinyembo District Municipality spokesperson, Olwethu Mabovula, said, “As you can see behind you that there’s nothing left of this building. So, in terms of the extent of the damage inside, there’s nothing, according to what we see.”

The province’s Public Works and Infrastructure MEC, Siphokazi Lusithi, is expected to conduct a full assessment of the structure, which belongs to her department.