MTHATHA – The MEC for the Department of Human Settlements, Siphokazi Lusithi-Mani, gave an update about the fire incident which severely damaged the historic Botha Sigcau Building in Mthatha, within the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality, recently.

She said the incident affected 11 government departments and disrupted the work of approximately 1,300 employees who were accommodated in the building and provided essential government services to the public daily.

She added that this tragic event resulted in significant disruption to normal government operations.

“Since the incident occurred, the Eastern Cape Provincial Government activated the Provincial Disaster Response, led by the Director-General. The multi-disciplinary team has been working around the clock coordinating disaster response efforts to ensure continuity of government services, as well as to monitor conditions and manage any potential flare-ups, whilst also safeguarding the affected facility.

“At this stage, the Botha Sigcau Building has not yet been declared safe for technical assessment teams to access the site and fully determine the extent of the structural damage,” she said.

According to her, once the site is declared safe, detailed assessments will be undertaken to inform the scope of rehabilitation work required, guided by applicable safety and heritage preservation standards.

Technical teams remain on site to monitor the situation and further advise the provincial government on urgent interventions and requirements.

Lusithi added that the Eastern Cape Provincial Government expresses deep concern over the disruption of critical public services caused by the fire at this building, which has impacted service delivery to communities and the functioning of affected government departments.

“In response to these disruptions, processes are underway to source accommodation for the 11 departments that have been affected by the fire. However, these processes will be carried out in a phased approach to ensure business continuity.

“Through these efforts, urgent work has commenced to identify alternative office accommodation to ensure that critical government services continue without interruption.”

She said the primary objective of these interventions is to minimise disruption to service delivery, protect the well-being of employees and ensure that communities continue to access essential public services.

In addition, consultative engagements have been held with Labour representatives across all affected departments, recognising that the temporary relocation arrangements may have implications for working conditions.

These engagements have been constructive and have assisted the government in implementing solutions that balance operational requirements with the rights and wellbeing of employees.

“We are encouraged by the significant progress made thus far in implementing business continuity measures.

“Currently, some employees have been enabled to work remotely where operationally feasible, and the necessary technological arrangements have been put in place to support remote work and ensure continuity of services.

“In other instances, they are accommodated in other government offices.

“In the medium-term, we will be temporarily relocating departments to various identified buildings.”

She said this process will take about three to eight months, depending on renovation standards that need to be undertaken to make each building habitable and compliant with OHS standards.

The identified buildings are as follows:

• Department of Education, which occupies the first floor and houses 341 employees, will be accommodated at the Transit Building utilising two open-plan office spaces, classrooms, a media laboratory, library facilities and available hostel accommodation.

• Department of Agriculture, which occupied the third and fourth floors and housed 180 employees, will be temporarily accommodated at the Tsolo Agricultural College in Mthatha, as well as at the veterinary laboratories located at Farm 48.

• Department of Health will be accommodated at the 100-bed COVID-19 facility in Mthatha together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).

• Department of Social Development will be accommodated at Carlton House.

• Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture will be accommodated at the Mthatha Library.

• Department of Transport (DoT) will be accommodated across several of its existing facilities, including the DOT Training Centre Mechanical Workshop, DOT Government Building, Dalindyebo Depot, Mthatha Depot and the Department of Transport offices at Mthatha Airport.

According to Lusithi, the government continues to explore additional accommodation solutions prioritising the optimal use of existing state-owned properties in order to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of temporary office space.

This approach is consistent with government’s commitment to prudent management of public resources.

“We are also considering requesting specialised support from outside the province to conduct an emergency evacuation of some critical national assets in areas that have not been fully affected by the fire.

“This includes deeds archives and historical archives. We are assembling a team that will undertake a full assessment of damage and develop a costed scope for the rebuilding of the facility. The team will also package the project in preparation for sourcing alternative funding models.”

She added that they wish to assure the people of the Eastern Cape that the government remains fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted delivery despite this unfortunate incident.

“All affected departments continue to operate, and measures have been put in place to ensure that citizens continue to receive the services they require.

“The Provincial Government will continue to provide updates as further progress is made regarding both the temporary accommodation arrangements and the longer-term rehabilitation of the facility.

“The government wishes to call on affected communities to exercise patience as the government is making all efforts to navigate the situation, as the incident has caused severe disruptions to service delivery.”