Eastern Cape police have opened an inquiry after the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality offices in Komani caught fire on Friday night.
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.
Meanwhile, Parliament fire accused, Zandile Christmas Mafe, is applying for bail in Cape Town Regional Court.
His bail bid, scheduled for last Saturday, was moved to this Saturday following consultations between the defence, the state and the presidency of the regional court.
Mafe was in isolation after contracting COVID-19.
He faces charges of housebreaking with intent to commit terrorism and arson, arson, terrorism and theft.
Mafe was arrested shortly after the blaze caused extensive damage to the National Assembly.
He is being held at Pollsmoor Prison after the High Court ruled that his psychiatric observation at Valkenberg Hospital was unlawful.
Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema says negligence was the main cause of the recent fire that gutted the National Assembly buildings at Parliament.
He says the arrest of the so-called suspect, Zandile Mafe, is being used as a scapegoat to divert attention from government’s negligence.
“Do you think in your rightful mind, a person would burn Parliament and then goes and sleep next to where you have committed a crime… there’s no such thing. So I think more than anything guys, it’s negligence. They’ve not maintained Parliament, you may find out the rats have eaten the cables, that why it started burning from the roof and there was a spark and that spark caused the fire,” Malema says.
Malema says negligence was the main cause of the fire:
