Under-fire King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal bosses have admitted that 50% of the buildings in Mthatha were not compliant with health and safety regulations and standards. And despite several buildings going up in smoke under mysterious circumstances since 2021, the municipality has also admitted it does not have a bylaw on fire prevention.
Fire swept through three buildings and four police vehicles in Mthatha at the weekend, destroying the offices of several law firms, part of the Madeira police station and a string of shops. The Elphil Properties building which houses Home City China Best Price and Dunns Clothing Store as well as the neighbouring five-story Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) building at York Road were affected.
Sentencing of Nelson Mandela Bay chartered accountant Jonathan Blow, who pleaded guilty to stealing more than R50m from two SUPERSPAR stores, was put on hold to allow a psychologist’s report to be obtained.