Fire in built environment

A fire on Tuesday night severely damaged the historic Botha Sigcawu Building in Mthatha, which houses several government departments and key public services.The Eastern Cape government says emergency plans are being put in place to keep services running while the cause of the fire is still unknown.A fierce fire tore through a major government building in Mthatha on Tuesday night, leaving parts of it badly damaged.The building, known as the Botha Sigcawu Building, is a historic site and is used by several government departments. The blaze has raised concern about how services will continue for people in the area.MEC for Public Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlements Siphokazi Lusithi said she is deeply concerned about the damage caused by the fire.Emergency teams rushed to the scene. Firefighters from the OR Tambo District Municipality worked with officials from the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to respond to the incident.Lusithi said the building is important because it houses multiple departments that serve the public. She said the department will urgently work with those affected to make sure services continue.She said the government wants people in the OR Tambo District to know that plans are already being put in place to avoid disruption.“Government wishes to assure the community of the OR Tambo District that every effort is being made to put contingency measures in place to ensure that critical service delivery functions continue uninterrupted,” said Lusithi.She said more details about temporary arrangements will be shared soon.The Eastern Cape government said it will keep monitoring the situation. Officials will work with different groups to check how bad the damage is and decide what needs to be done next.This includes looking at plans to restore the building, which is seen as an important public asset.The cause of the fire is still unknown and investigations are expected to follow.