SIU visited Botha Sigcau building hours before blaze

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said its investigators were inside the Botha Sigcau building in Mthatha hours before a fire gutted the 11-storey government complex, but says it cannot link its visit to the blaze while investigations into the cause are ongoing. Acting SIU provincial head Mike Koya told the Bhisho legislature on Monday that the unit had been working in offices in the building on the day of the fire, which broke out in March and destroyed large sections of the facility. “I can confirm to this meeting that the SIU was there earlier on the day of the fire.

“I am not saying the fire was due to our visit there, or technical issues, but there has been speculation,” Koya said. He stressed that no link had been established between the SIU’s presence and the fire, and that the cause of the blaze remained under investigation. The Hawks are leading the investigation, with the SIU co-operating.

“The Hawks, which are investigating the matter, have visited us and we are co-operating with them,” Koya said. Koya later told the Dispatch that SIU investigators had visited the building to return boxes containing documents linked to an ongoing probe involving the provincial transport department, which is housed in the complex. He declined to provide further details.

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It was unclear if the documents returned by the SIU had been destroyed in the blaze. The Botha Sigcau buildingwas a key provincial government hub, housing more than 11 departments, including health, education, agriculture, transport and rural development. It has previously been declared unsafe for occupation, with officials warning of safety failures. The March fire has raised concerns about potential disruptions to government services in the region.

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