Cape Town - Residents and members of the Komani Civic Forum have accused the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) officials of setting the Komani town hall on fire, allegedly in an attempt to conceal evidence of corruption within the municipality.
The town hall housed offices of the mayor, speaker and chief whip, municipal manager, chief operations officer and the corporate services directorate. It is the fourth EMLM building destroyed in a blaze since last year.
Chairperson of the Komani Civic Forum, Zithulele Sana, said: “We are suspecting that there is something they are trying to hide, like evidence. Once you burn down all the computers and books, then there will be no evidence.
“This week, an auditor was supposed to visit those offices. Unfortunately for that auditor the town hall has been burnt down now,” he said.
The forum also said it had lost all confidence in the municipality leadership.
Dozens of residents took to the streets on Monday to express their dismay over the fire which occurred at the weekend.
The protesters marched to the Chris Hani and ANC regional offices in the town to demand answers about the fire that destroyed the 130-year-old building.
The municipality mayor, Thembeka Bunu, said they were speeding up processes to ensure all staff members were relocated to new offices.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, the provincial police department said a 49-year-old man had been arrested for tampering with essential infrastructure.
IOL