The Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure conducted an oversight visit at Botha Sigcau Building in Mthatha.
The 13-storey building caught fire on 27 March 2026 and was condoned off to allow cooling of the structure. It was declared safe for walk abouts in April 2026 and subsequently the Portfolio Committee led by the Portfolio’s Chairperson Hon. Makaya Twabu decided to do its own onsite visit to assess the extent of the damage and get a proper briefing on the Department’s plans to ensure there is business continuity.
Senior officials from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, including Acting Head of Department Nomalungelo Nomandela and OR Tambo District Director Nomahlubi Ntloko, joined the walkabout as they had to respond to questions from committee members.
The building houses 1 330 government officials from both provincial and national departments. These included officials from the Department of Health; Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs; Education; Social Development; Agriculture; Transport; Human Settlements; DEEDS Office as well as SAPS.
Officials from all the affected departments have since been moved to operate from alternative buildings within Mthatha, as a result the delegation also visited the newly allocated offices.
Progress is being made to establish the cause of the fire.
Chief DirectoFacilities and Security Noloyiso Ntwana said investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. “The investigation team is still working to gather as much evidence as possible about what happened,” she explained. Ntwana added that the building “remains unsafe to enter” and confirmed that access will only be granted once it has been declared secure, allowing for the retrieval of vehicles and any items not destroyed in the blaze.
The main concern about the blaze is the destruction of government documents. Hon Twabu highlighted the need for improved document management systems. “Employees should use better technology to archive documents to avoid losing them if an incident like this occurs again,” he said, adding that departments must also strengthen collaboration and develop effective crisis management plans.
