The fire that broke out at the Vodacom building in Century City on 9 July, a preliminary report found, was not caused by the solar panels fixed to the buildings, as was reported by social media.
According to a preliminary report following an investigation an electrical fault was responsible for the blaze.
A statement from the Vodacom group slammed the bad light the speculation has unfairly cast on solar-energy technology.
“It is regrettable that the early speculation concerning the fire that broke out at our offices in Century City on 9 July pointed to the solar panels on the roof being the primary cause of the blaze,” a company spokesperson said.
The statement said while the group is busy finalising the investigation, it felt it prudent to place on record the preliminary report by the forensic team has ruled solar technology out as the cause of the fire, and that it was an electrical fault instead.
“Once the report is finalised, we will issue an updated statement in due course,” it reads.
