29 Sep 2017

Regular inspection of government facilities is necessary  to ensure that such assets are secure from fire outbreaks, says Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi.

Speaking during a visit to the Selebi Phikwe Magistrate Court on September 25 that was partly gutted by fire on September 22, Mr Kgathi also said in high security areas, such as magistrate courts, there should be periodic inspections to ensure that such structures were secure from any fire breakouts.

Mr Kgathi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bobirwa, visited the area to assess the damage that was done by the fire outbreak, and to appreciate how the incident would impact on judicial service delivery in Selebi Phikwe and surrounding areas, including the Bobirwa area.

He noted that the dispensation of judicial services had been temporarily impacted by the fire.

“As the minister responsible, I visited the place to see the extent of the damage caused by the fire and what will be required to put things in order,” he said.

He added that “we have to speed up the renovation of the court offices because the damage that has been done has impacted negatively on people who are waiting for their cases to take place, including those who are due to receive their payments at the court.”

He noted that the wing that housed the registry offices, kitchen and ablution block was the only affected area, and that all the court chambers were not affected.

He added that experts were conducting an investigation to find out the cause of the fire.

“This also gives us a lesson as leaders of this country to see that the Department of Buildings and Engineering Services (DBES) conducts regular maintenance of government structures. It also gives us a lesson that in high security areas there should be measures put in place both by the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development to have periodic inspections to ensure that the facilities were secure from any fire breakouts."

Meanwhile, Selebi Phikwe chief magistrate, Ms Kamogelo Mmesi said the court wing that had been burnt housed the maintenance registry, criminal registry, civil registry, revenue office, the archives office as well as the kitchen and the ablution sections.

This, she said, meant that all registry offices were not functional, but that court cases would still continue as normal.

She noted that all court proceedings data had been captured, and that they would reprint all the files that had been burnt to make it possible for cases to continue as usual.

She said she hoped that funds would be availed as soon as possible so that the offices burnt would be repaired and have everything back to normal within three weeks.

She said she immediately informed the registrar and the regional magistrate about the fire outbreak.

She also said officials from the District Administration Office and the DBES had also visited the facility to appreciate the extent of the damage caused by the fire, and that they would have quotations for the repair of the offices.

She said investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the fire, and that if there was any foul play they would be notified by investigators.

For his part, an officer from the Selebi Phikwe Town Council Fire Department, Mr Phillip Barulaganye said the fire outbreak was reported to them on September 22 in the afternoon.

He said upon arrival they called the BDF Eastern Military Garrison Fire Department  for assistance, and that together  they managed to control the fire and put it down.

He said they do not have any information regarding the fire outbreak and that  investigations were still ongoing. ENDS